INDIAN NOTES
AND MONOGRAPHS
Edited by F. W. Hodge
A SERIES OF PUBLICA-
TIONS RELATING TO THE
AMERICAN ABORIGINES
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
FRANK G. SPECK
NEW YORK
MTJSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
HE\'E FOUNDATION
1922
CALIFORNIA
SAN DIE0O
•^.
Tms series of Indian Notes and Mono-
graphs is devoted primarily to the publica-
tion of the result of studies by members of
the staff of the Museum of the American
Indian, Heye Foundation, and is xmiform
with Hispanic Notes and Monographs,
published by the Hispanic Society of
America, with which organization this
Museum is in cordial cooperation.
Only the first ten volumes of Indian
Notes and Monographs are numbered.
The unnumbered parts may readily be deter-
mined by consulting the List of Publications
issued as one of the series.
INDIAN NOTES
AND MONOGRAPHS
Edited by F. W. Hodge
A SERIES OF PUBLICA-
TIONS RELATING TO THE
AMERICAN ABORIGINES
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
FRANK G. SPECK
NEW YORK
MUSEUM OF THE AMERIC.VN INDIAN
HEYE FOUNDATION
1922
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
PART I
STUDIES OF THE BEOTHUK AND
MICMAC OF NEWFOUNDLAND
BY
FRANK G. SPECK
CONTENTS
Part I
PAGE
Introduction 12
Sites of Beothuk occupancy 19
The INIicmac and the Red Indians 25
How the ^Micmac and the Red Indians
became separated 27
Comparative ethnological notes 30
Table 44
Folklore notes from the Nein'foundland band 46
The story of Buchan's expedition 49
A meeting between a Red Indian's fam-
ily and a Micmac family 51
An encounter with Red Indians near
Twillingate 52
An encounter near Dildo Arm 52
Miscellaneous anecdotes 53
The case of Santu 55
The informant's history , 58
Ethnological notes 60
-Votes 71
Part II
Introduction 83
Hunting territories in Nova Scotia 86
Table 100
Hunting territories in Cape Breton island. . 106
Table 110
INDIAN NOTES
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
PAGE
Hunting territories in Prince Edward island. 1 14
Table 116
Hunting territories of the Micmac-Mon-
tagnais of Newrfoundland 117
Table 132
Ancient place-names in Newfoundland 138
Appendix 141
I — Cormack's observations . . . 141
II — Abstract of the Gluskap Trans-
former myth 145
Gluskap's journey 146
Notes 149
Index 157
INDIAN NOTES
ILLUSTRATIONS
Part I
PAGE
Pl. I. Lookout tree at Red Indian
point 12
II. View across Red Indian lake
from Red Indian point 13
III. Red Indian point, Red Indian
lake, showing "lookout tree"
and beach, looking south 18
IV. The same scene as that shown in
plate in, looking toward Mary
March bend and point 19
V. "Mary March's tree" at Mary
March point, near Millertown,
Newfoundland 22
VI. Beothuk wigwam pit at junc-
tion of Badger's brook and
Exploits river 23
VII. Log wigwam, camp of Frank Joe
and family near St George's
bay 30
VIII. Another view of wigwam con-
struction 3i
IX. Birch-bark canoes used by the
Micmac of the New Brunswick
coast, showing the feature of
the elevated gunwale centers,
called "humpbacks" 32
AND MONOGRAPHS
8
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
PACE
Pl, X. Canoes of the Badger's Brook
band of Micmac 33
XI. Daughter of John Paul, Micmac-
Montagnais of Badger's Brook,
in caribou-skin coat and with
"Red Indian" doU 34
XII. Daughter of John Paul, Micmac-
Montagnais of Badger's Brook,
in caribou-skin coat 35
XIII. Daughter of John Paul, Micmac-
Montagnais of Badger's Brook,
in caribou-skin coat 36
XIV. Man's coat of caribou-skin with
the hair on and with buttons
of caribou-antler '. 37
XV. Micmac-Montagnais woman at
Badger's Brook in sealskin.
capote with snowshoes 38
XVI. Frank Joe and wife, Micmac-
Montagnais of St George's
settlement, west coast of New-
foundland 39
XVII. Wife of Frank Joe wearing char-
acteristic head-covering 40
XVIII. Boots and moccasins of the Bad-
ger's Brook band of Micmac. 41
XIX. Loom of the Badger's Brook
band of Micmac for weaving
pack-straps, belts, etc 42
XX. Woven pack-straps and spindle-
whorl 43
XXI. Micmac-Montagnais at Badger's
Brook, showing method of
using woven pack-strap 44
INDIAN NOTES
ILLUSTRATIONS
Pl.XXII
XXIII.
XXIV.
XXV.
XXM.
XXVII.
XXVIII.
XXIX.
XXX.
XXXI.
XXXII.
XXXIII.
XXXIV.
XXXV.
XXXVI.
PAGE
Tobacco-pouches of the Badger's
Brook band of Micmac 45
Snowshoes of the Badger's Brook
band of ilicmac 48
Pick, awls and knives of the
Badger's Brook band of JNlicmac 49
Bone and antler implements of
the Badger's Brook band of
Micmac 50
Punch, needles, and chisel of the
Badger's Brook band of JNlic-
mac 51
Wooden netting implements of
the Badger's Brook band of
]\Iicmac 52
Harpoon-heads, lance-heads, and
fish-spear of the Badger's
Brook band of Micmac 53
Splint basketry of the Badger's
Brook band of JMicmac 54
Birch-bark boxes of the Badger's
Brook band of Micmac 55
Fetish objects of the Badger's
Brook band of Micmac 56
Micmac doll representing "Red
Indian" (Beothuk) 57
View of the country formerly the
common property of Micmac
and Beothuk, according to
tradition 58
Santu and her son, Joe Toney. . 59
Santu 60
Joe Toney 61
AND MONOGRAPHS
10
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
PAGE
Fig. 1. Le&i oi Sarracena purpurea (Pitcher
plant) used as an improvised pipe
by Newfoundland Indians 40
2. Wooden dipper for molten lead in
making bullets 42
Part II
Pl. XXXVII ]\Iicmac hunting camp in
Cape Breton island 106
XXXV'III. ISIicmac hunting camp in
Cape Breton island 107
XXXIX. Birch-bark wigwam of the
Cape Breton Micmac 114
XL. Birch-bark wigwam of the
Cape Breton Micmac,
showing feature of hoop
and inside poles 115
XLI. Interior of wigwam of Cape
Breton IMicmac, showing
size and placing of poles .... 1 18
XLII. Port aux Basques, near
Cape Ray, Newfoundland.
T>-pical scenery ■ of the
southwestern coast 119
M.^p I. Hunting territories of the
Micmac Indians in Nova
Scotia Back Cover
II. Hunting territories of the
Micmac Indians in Prince
Edward island and New-
foundland Back Cover
Fig. 3. Hunting territory of Solomon Siah,
Micmac of Bear river, Nova Scotia 99
INDIAN NOTES
11
I. STUDIES OF THE BEOTHUK
AND MICMAC OF NEW-
FOUNDLAND
By Frank G. Speck
INTRODUCTION
THE mystery connected with the dis-
appearance of the unfortunate
Beothuk or Red Indians of New-
foundland has aroused a great deal
of interest among historical investigators.
The ethnologist, however, has to lament
chiefly the fact that little or nothing of the
language or customs of the tribe had been
recorded before the opportunity had passed.
Paucity of information on the language and
the necessity of having to depend on several
very poor vocabularies led Powell and
Gatschet in 1885 to classify the Beothuk as
an independent linguistic stock. Other
writers who have dealt with the tribe have
AND MONOGRAPHS
12
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
been impressed by certain cultural affinities
with both Eskimo and Montagnais. Conse-
quently there is at present considerable un-
certainty as to the ethnic position of the
tribe.
In the summer of 1914, during a trip to
the eastern provinces of Canada for ethno-
logical research/ I made an extension of my
journey, I might almost say a pilgrimage, to
Red Indian lake and Exploits river, the
country of the Beothuk, in the hope of resur-
recting some traditional or material traces of
their existence. As a consequence the result
of my labor is presented in this brief
paper, since in our study of the lost tribe
we are forced to make stock of almost any
fragments of information. We should be
careful, I think, in a case of this kind, not
to overestimate the peculiarity of the posi-
tion of the tribe simply because it became
extinct under rather tragic circumstances,
or because so little is known of it. Some
writers have been inclined to do this. We
should rather try to identify the ethnic
position of the Beothuk through the few
known facts of their life, relying more upon
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
LOOKOUT TREE AT RED INDIAN POINT
Close view, showing trimmed branches
12
2:g
< m
□ I
ZH
~u.
QO
Ld
o>
Jo
Si
<o
-IX
I
CO O
CO Si
OO
INTRODUCTION
13
positive than upon negative knowledge.
The intangible nature of the few existing
vocabularies confronts us with our main dif-
ficulty; while a few customs, such as the
extreme use of red ocher, the peculiar shape
of the canoe, and the wigwam pits, features
indeed not entirely unknown to outside
tribes, tend collectively at least to lend to
the Beothuk as an ethnic group a certain
aspect of local distinctiveness. Let us
glance at the circumstances.
The general supposition that the Beothuk
may be a divergent early branch of the east-
ern Algonkian is indeed borne out by some
fairly trustworthy historical, linguistic, and
ethnological conclusions. The archeological
question is, moreover, correlated with that
of the northern New England coast and the
maritime provinces. From the reports of
Willoughby^ and Moorehcad'' there is evi-
dence of a pre-Algonkian culture in Maine.
It has also been represented that this cul-
ture, owing to certain traits, such as the
abundant use of red ocher in burials, the
absence of many types of stone implements,
and the frequent occurrence of long slate
AND MONOGRAPHS
14
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
lance-heads and of chisels/ may have been
culture of a type related to that of the
Beothuk. While the principle of identify-
ing one type of culture with another on the
basis of a few resemblances is, of course,
non-commendable, nevertheless the fact
that we possess no strikingly conflicting
material from either of these little-known
ancient areas gives some extra weight to
the few resemblances that may be men-
tioned. At present evidence seems to be
accumulating in favor of the idea that a
type of culture older and cruder than that
of the historic Algonkian prevailed in the
eastern maritime provinces and in northern
New England. So by coordinating the
remainders it might seem that the Beothuk
were the last isolated outposts of this culture
in the matter of both time and space.
Then, if we accept the evidence of Beothuk
resemblances to Algonkian as indicating a
genetic relationship, we should have to as-
sume that the early culture type belonged
to a primitive Algonkian group antedating
the later Algonkian occupants. Certain
uniformities, one of which is simplicity of
INDIAN NOTES
INTRODUCTION
15
type in archeological material throughout
the whole area, seem to lead to some such
idea. Since a further fundamental simplic-
ity in social, ceremonial, and economic life is
a fairly uniform characteristic of the north-
eastern Algonkian in general, I am inclined
to beheve that the historic tribes of the
northeast are the surviving representatives
of the early unaffected Algonkian types of
which the isolated Beothuk of Newfound-
land were the last true representatives.
Unfortunately Mr Howley, in his recent
monograph on the Beothuk,^ does not seem
to define clearly the reasons for his own
stand on the question of ethnic affinity, not-
withstanding the fact that he is at present
perhaps more intimately conversant with
the internal probabilities of the case than
anyone else.**
The fame of the Beothuk seems to have
reached regions quite distant from New-
foundland in Indian times. As far west as
the Penobscot of Maine, a tribe of "Red
Indians," who are said to have dyed their
skins red, is known by tradition as
Osagane'wi'ak.'' Some informants apply
AND MONOGRAPHS
16
B E O T H U K A N D M I C M A C
this name to the Montagnais of southern
Labrador, while others employ it to desig-
nate a people farther to the east, which
makes it possible that they refer to a people
in Newfoundland.
Again, the Malecite of New Brunswick
employ the cognate term Us'a'gan'ik to de-
note the Montagnais and the other tribes to
the north and east. This term is evidently
derived directly from the IVIicmac term
Osa'yan'ax, which likewise denotes the tribes
north of the St Lawrence as well as the tribe
of Newfoundland. I have found inform-
ants to vary on this term, some applying it
to the Montagnais exclusively and others
to the Red Indians of Newfoundland when
they knew something of the latter. We
may remark, however, that a certain stand-
ard usage among the Micmac, INIalecite, and
Penobscot applies this term to a people who
may be putatively identified with the Beo-
thuk. In addition, this is the name of the
Beothuk as given by a supposed descendant
of the tribe, born in Newfoundland, whose
testimony will be discussed later. ^
More definite knowledge of the Beothuk,
INDIAN NOTES
INTRODUCTION
17
or at least those whom we may presume to
be the same, is shared by the Malecite. Un-
der the name of Mekwe'isit, "red man,"
there are several myths and a description
of "a tribe of Indians who were red. Each
of these red men was known by the name of
Mekwe'isit. Whenever any of the other
Indians came near, these natives would run
away. . . . Their dress was unlike
that of other tribes. They wore a loin cloth
and leggings and moccasins of a peculiar
cut. They did not wear any covering for
the rest of the body, but instead they
painted it a deep red."^ Mechling, in
commenting on these stories, says: "The
explanation of the Red People suggests
at once the Beothuks. There is little
doubt that they were known to the Malecites
by hearsay at least. The statements in re-
gard to their dress and painting seem to
have some basis in fact."^° Howley also
gives information from the Malecite ob-
tained through Mr E. Jack, pertaining to
the Beothuk.'^
Nearer to the scene, the Micmac in gen-
eral are better acquainted with the former
♦
AND MONOGRAPHS
18
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
•
Red Indians of Newfoundland, who natu-
rally have a promment place in their local
legends. Their name for the Beothuk is
Meywe'dji'djik,^^ "red people" (diminu-
tive), and, as I have said before, the tribal
term Osa'yan'ax is appUed by some both to
the Montagnais and to the Beothuk by the
present-day Newfoundland Indians.
Among the Montagnais, on the other
hand, I have had very poor success in ob-
.taining references to the Beothuk. As far
down the St Lawrence as the Moisie river
the Montagnais seem ignorant of the New-
foundland tribe's existence. Farther east,
nearer the Straits of Belle Isle, perhaps the
few Montagnais there would know some-
thing of them, but I have not as yet visited
them to determine the point.
The expectation that the present Micmac
inhabitants of Newfoundland might have a
more extended knowledge of the supposedly
extinct tribe, an expectation most natural
to the ethnologist, led me to undertake the
investigation of material culture while in
Newfoundland, the results of which form
the basis of this paper. The ethnological
INDIAN NOTES
< —
BEOTHUK SITES
19
collection figured in my study is now in the
Victoria INIuseum, Ottawa, and the manu-
script was prepared originally for the An-
thropological Survey of Canada. Thanks
are due to the Director and to Dr. Edward
Sapir for the photographs of the collection
and for permission to use the material.
SITES OF BEOTHUK OCCUPANCY
In the neighborhood of Red Indian lake
and the River of Exploits the signs of Beo-
thuk occupancy are both numerous and well
preserved. Several authors^^ have written
of the caribou "fences" which were con-
structed to force the caribou to cross a river
or a lake at certain places accessible to the
natives, where they could be shot and
speared.^* Recent forest fires have oblit-
erated these so-called "fences," but in a
few places near the shore, where, on account
of the moisture, the fires have not burned
to the water's edge, some few miles below
the new dam on Exploits river at its junction
with Red Indian lake, are to be seen the
trunks of trees felled to form a line barrier
AND MONOGRAPHS
20
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
leading obliquely from the water's edge to
the wooded bank. This rough abattis, as
it were, is said to have extended for some
miles along the river before the era of fires
which wrought so much havoc with the
forests of the interior. So well known are
the sites of these fences in the Exploits
River region that any Micmac guide at
Badger's Brook can lead to the places where
remains may still be seen. At one spot in
particular, a mile above Red Indian falls on
Exploits river, a "fence" running to the
water's edge is discernible. It is formed of
cross-pieces as high as one's head, with hori-
zontal tree-trunks felled to fall into the
crotches here and there. The continuation
of this "fence" has been burnt away upon
the upland, but it is still partly intact along
shore.
During the short time at my disposal, 1
was able to find without difficulty several
interesting camp-sites where even the form
of the wigwam-sites was preserved and some
of the litter of the hunter's camp lay round
about near the surface. One of the note-
worthy features of the Red Indian sites is
INDIAN NOTES
BEOTHUK SITES
21
the excavation of the ground where the
wig\\-ams stood. Either circular or some-
what quadrilateral in form, these pits now
generally appear excavated about a foot.
They were undoubtedly deeper when made.
In the center of the wigwam-holes is the
location of the fireplace, as indicated by the
charred soil and fire-cracked stones. Dig-
ging over the soil around the fireplaces one
uncovers remains of implements. Chert
and flint chips occur, showing stone-age
industry. Interspersed with them were
found metal fragments — pieces of metal
bands, old wrought nails, small nondescript
iron scraps, and, in one place, a perfect iron
awl blade. Quantities of animal bones and
pieces of caribou antler also occur, indicating
the food habits of the natives. Referring to
the material, we find a tradition among
the Micmac-Montagnais of the island which
relates how the Red Indians used to make
forays on fishermen's settlements and even
robbed schooners to obtain metal for tool
making.^" The Micmac say that they fre-
quently dig in these Red Indian wig^vam-
AND MONOGRAPHS
22
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
pits and find curious iron implements —
knives, axes, traps, and the like.
At Red Indian point, several miles south
of Millertown at the point of land near
where Mary March brook flows into the
lake, is a notable site, said by the Micmac-
Montagnais to have been the headquarters
of the Red Indians a hundred years or so
ago. Directly at the point here are a num-
ber of wigwam-pits, at least seven, although
it was rather hard to discern them all at
the time of my visit on account of the logs
that had drifted in and filled the pits at
high water. One of these, rectangular in
shape and about 30 feet in its greater
diameter, is said to have been the location
of the wigwam of a chief. The other pits
are at several yards' distance, grouped
around this one. They have an average
depth of about 2 feet, and their large size
indicates the place formerly to have been a
large and probably more or less regular set-
tlement. In and around these pits I gath-
ered a quantity of cracked bones and pieces
of antler. Much material undoubtedly
could be obtained here by excavation. The
INDIAN NOTES
^
;3s
i.
CO E
BEOTHUK SITES
23
most interesting feature of this site, how-
ever, is a large white spruce tree which
stands intact at the extremity of the point.
This tree has its smaller branches trimmed
out, and the lower branches are lopped ofiF
a foot or so from the trunk to form a means
of ascent to its airy heights. The trimming
extends, I should say, at least 30 or 40 feet
from the ground, and enables an observer
to mount conveniently the full distance.
This tree was a lookout post. When the
camp was occupied a lookout was stationed
in it to watch for caribou swimming across
the lake, or, we might well imagine, for the
approach of enemies. This remarkable tree
is still in perfect condition and forms a
landmark that seems to have appealed to
the sentiment of the lumbermen, so it will
probably remain. Photographs of this
site, and several views of the lookout tree,
one taken from its height where I climbed to
experience the sensation of observing these
wastes from the vantage point of the an-
cients, are shown in pi. i-v. One fact
further should be noted, that in the last
century the point was occupied by Micmac
AND MONOGRAPHS
24
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
'
who availed themselves from time to time
of its ideal situation. John Paul said that
he knew of several old people who were
born while their families were encamped
there. Among them he mentioned it as his
understanding that Santu, the woman whose
claim of Beothuk descent is to be considered
later, was also born there.
At many points on Exploits river, the
wigwam-pits are numerous. Near the junc-
tion of Badger's brook and Exploits river,
the only other place where I had an oppor-
tunity to examine the shores, about a dozen
wigwam-pits may still be seen ranging along
the northern bank on the terrace above
the beach. On some of these pits, fair-
sized spruce trees have grown up. The pits
are situated at a distance ranging from about
100 feet to 100 yards from each other (pi.
vi). In some of these, where I excavated
the fireplace and floor space, fragments of
iron tools, stone chips and flakes, and stone
hammers or bone-crackers, and a perfect
bone implement for removing the hair from
caribou skins, were found. The latter, a
caribou leg-bone, is of the same type as is
INDIAN NOTES
MICMAC KNOWLEDGE
25
commonly found among the Montagnais,
Micmac, and other eastern tribes. (See pi.
XXV, a, b). So much for the archeological
remains of which I am able to speak from
personal observation. The Micmac of the
region, however, speak, of many of these old
camp-sites. Some systematic excavation in
the region would prove very profitable.
THE MICMAC AND THE RED INDIANS
Our most important extant sources of in-
formation about the Beothuk are undoubt-
edly the Micmac-Montagnais who still in-
habit the southern and western coasts of
Newfoundland and parts of the interior.
The present Indian inhabitants, whose lan-
guage is Micmac, are the mixed offspring
of Montagnais hunters from Labrador and
]\Iicmac from Cape Breton island. Immi-
gration from both these neighboring regions
must have commenced at least several
centuries ago, because our records from the
early part of the nineteenth century show
both the Micmac and the Montagnais to
have been firmly established in Newfound-
land at that time. As the historical facts
AND MONOGRAPHS
26
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
concerned with these migrations are quite
interesting, a brief account of them will be
given to introduce the people we are to dis-
cuss as the successors, I believe in more
than one sense, of the Beothuk.^^
The Micmac claim to have had some
knowledge of Newfoundland from remote
times. They speak of a branch of their
people called Sa'ydwe'djki'k, "ancients,"
who lived on the southern and western coasts
before the eighteenth century, and to cor-
roborate this they give an old nomenclature
of landmarks in various parts of the island
in Micmac. Communication with New-
foundland in early times was carried on by
means of canoes. The distance, about 93
miles, between Cape North (of Cape Bre-
ton) and Cape Ray was covered in two
stages, the first stop having been St Paul's
island, 14 miles from Cape North. The
traverse thence was made at night generally,
when it was calmer, guided by a beacon fire
kindled on the high barrens of Cape Ray by
a crew of experienced men who went on
rapidly ahead of the main body. In later
times the Micmac added to the faciUty of
INDIAN NOTES
M I C :M A C KNOWLEDGE
27
communication by using schooners. Their
first settlements were about St George's
bay, at Burgeo on the south coast, and at
Conne river.
In the St George's Bay region it is a matter
of general knowledge, among the older mem-
bers of the Newfoundland band, that their
ancestors lived in amicable contact with the
Beothuk, whom they designate Meywe'djik,
"red people." This period of friendly rela-
tionship interests us now because during
that time we may surmise some culture bor-
rowing and blood intermixture to have taken
place.
The following legend narrated by John
Paul accounts for the rupture between the
two tribes.
How the Micmac and the Red Indians
Became Separated
(Narrated by John Paul at Badger's Brook)
"Long ago the Micmac and the Red Indians
were friendly and lived together in a village at
St George's bay, which is now supposed to have
been near Seal rocks [near StevensvilleJ. The
place was called Meski'gtu'a.>i''d3n, 'big gut,' or
it might have been Nudjo'yan, inside Sandy
AND MONOGRAPHS
28
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
point in the bay. The St George's river was
at that time called Main river bv the English.
Everything went well between the two tribes.
They used to have a large canoe at the village in
which the people could cross over the bay. One
time during the winter a Micmac boy killed a
black weasel. As it was winter-time the
weasel should, of course, have been white. The
occurrence was taken as an omen of misfortune,^'
because the boy should not have killed a black
weasel in winter-time, the animal not being in
its proper hue. On account of the violation of
the taboo a quarrel arose between the boys who
were at the time gathered near the big canoe
already mentioned. The Micmac boy struck
and killed a Red Indian boy and left him there.
Soon the Red Indian boy was missed by his
people, and after searching for several days
they found his body lying near the big canoe.
When they examined the wounds the Red
Indians concluded that the boy had been mur-
dered. They accused the Micmac of doing the
deed, and in a few days feeling became so
intense that a fight ensued in which the Red
Indians were beaten and driven out. They
retreated into the interior and, being separated
from contact with the outside world, drifted into
barbarism and became wilder. They always
shunned the IMicmac, who soon after obtained
firearms and, although the}' never persecuted
the Red Indians, were thenceforth objects of
terror to them. In a few generations those of
the two tribes who were able to converse to-
gether died out and there was no way left for
them to come together. So living in fear of
INDIAN NOTES
MICMAC KNOWLEDGE
29
each other, yet avoiding clashes, the Micmac
continued to live at Bay St George and the
Red Indians kept to the interior."
We can hardly give serious historical con-
sideration to the details of this story. It
bears the marks of being a secondary expla-
nation of some historical event, especially
since the same general theme among the
Micmac, and even among other Wabanaki
tribes of the mainland, accounts for the hos-
tility of the Iroquois.^ ^ The motive of the
legend, nevertheless, is clear enough, for it
indicates that the Micmac and the Red Indi-
ans were undoubtedly on friendly terms
originally and that they intermingled.^®
Accepting this assumption as being trust-
worthy, let us consider other claims, as
well as some features of material culture.
Such a study of the ethnology of the New-
foundland Indians (whom I have chosen to
call Micmac-Montagnais on account of their
mixed descent), as I was able to make it in
the early summer of 1914, showed some few
articles of use characteristic neither of the
Micmac of the mainland nor of the Montag-
nais. By eliminating what we can safely
AND MONOGRAPHS
30
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
attribute to either of the above sources, the
residual material may possibly deserve to be
classed as the result of borrowing through
contact with the Beothuk. If one is in-
clined to object strenuously to such a claim,
let us recall the fact that many of the Mic-
mac families among the present-day natives
of Newfoundland are of Montagnais de-
scent. If one attempts to deny categorically
that culture survivals from the Beothuk are
not to be traced through the Micmac, on
account of former hostility, then it cannot
be denied on the same ground that influence
could have come down through the Mon-
tagnais strain in the present population,
whose ancestors were known to be friendly
with the Beothuk.
COMPARATIVE ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES
One of the distinctive features of economic
life listed for the Beothuk is a marked pe-
culiarity in the construction of thebirch-bark
wigwam. The excavation of a pit a foot or
so below the level of the ground seems to
have been a general feature of the Beothuk
wigwam. This contrasts with the Micmac
INDIAN NOTES
i, f^m0'
HABITATION
31
and Montagnais wigwam, because these
tribes generally erect the wigwam upon flat
ground. On the Penobscot river in Maine,
nevertheless, such wigwam-pits, both rec-
tangular and circular in outline, may be
seen on Indian island. In other respects,
however, the wigwams of the Beothuk and
the eastern Algonkian seem to correspond
even in such details as the hoop encircling
the inside of the framework of poles.^" The
hoop varies somewhat in size according to
the height at which it is placed. Generally
it is lashed to the wigwam poles about six
feet from the ground and lends much to the
support of the poles when the wigwam is
burdened with snow. Sticks are placed on
the hoop, upon which clothing and moc-
casins may be hung to be dried. Even the
cooking utensils are suspended over the fire
from the cross-sticks. All is shown in pi. XL.
The hoop as a structural feature, is used,
we know, westward as far as the Montagnais
and the Penobscot of Maine ;^^ but it is
absent from the wigwam and tipi con-
struction of the Great Lakes area and the
plains. Even the rectangular based winter
AND MONOGRAPHS
32
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
wigwams of the Beothuk, built of logs chink-
ed with moss and with a pyramidal bark
superstructure, find their parallel among
the tribes of the Wabanaki group. An ex-
ample of the present-day Newfoundland In-
dian log camp is shown in pi. vn-viii. An
anonymous author in the London Times
(1820) mentions the upright posts in con-
struction (cf. Howley, p. 100). This camp
is built partly on the same principle — a clear
survival. So after all, in the rather fun-
damental matter of architecture the Beo-
thuk do not exhibit a great divergence from
the surrounding Algonkian.
In canoe-building we find another impor-
tant subject for comparative mention. The
bark canoe of the Beothuk type has
been described by several authors.^^ The
pointed keel and the elevated middle section
of the gunwales are the two distinguishing
features of the craft. The pointed keel is
unique among eastern canoe types, but the
same cannot be said of the elevated gunwale
middle, for a modified form of the same
thing, with the same separating thwart, is
prominent not only in the Micmac canoes
INDIAN NOTES
if! CD
<a.
OS
5°
gw b;
Q_J M
S >^
iol
>'^
CQ uj
o Si
z i
CANOES
33
of Newfoundland (pi. ix, b), which might
be expected to show the feature, but through-
out the Micmac range as far as southern
Nova Scotia, according to my own observa-
tion (pi. ix). Farther west than the Mic-
mac, however, this feature does not extend
nor do the Montagnais produce it. Ordi-
narily, however, the present-day Micmac-
Montagnais of Newfoundland make and use
the moose-skin canoe (mu'sawulk, "moose
boat") in preference to the bark one. They
claim that it is more convenient on the port-
ages and more quickly made. From two to
four skins are used in its construction, which
is quite simple. A model is shown in pi.
X, a. In this trait the Newfoundland In-
dians agree with the other tribes of the Wa-
banaki group, as well as with the Mon-
tagnais, who all have recourse at times to
moose-hide craft. We do not hear of the
hide canoe among the Beothuk from any of
the old accounts with the exception of one,
Cormack's,'^ although of course the fun-
damental idea is Eskimo as well as Al-
gonkian.
In the matter of dress, some articles are
•
AND MONOGRAPHS
34
BEOTHUK AND MI CM AC
characteristic of the Newfoundland Indians
of toda}' which are common to both Mon-
tagnais and Micmac, while others are sug-
gestive of Red Indian culture. The caribou-
skin capote {qali'bua'zi, "caribou cover-
ing") with hood attached (pi. xi-xiv), and
the- sealskin coats (pi. xv) of the same
type, are of course in the former class. Al-
though I was able to procure only a plain
specimen of the caribou-skin coat, I 'learned
from John Paul' (see p. 78, note 45) of
decorations which formerly were more com-
mon. Tanned with the hair off, these
coats had figures of animals painted on the
back, and a band of checkerwork in red
and black around the waist. This compares
more with what we know of Montagnais
decoration, although the same type of coat
had a wide distribution throughout the
Wabanaki area. Of the pigments, red and
brown were from alder bark, yellow from
"yellow thread" (golden ihxc&d, Coptis iri-
folia),^'^ and blue and black from blueber-
ries. When the hair was left on these coats
they were seldom painted, except as in the
case of the one figured, which has red ocher
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK ANDMICMAC
DAUGHTER OF JOHN PAUL. M IC MAC- MONT AGNAI S OF
BADGERS BROOK. IN CARIBOU-SKIN COAT AND
WITH "RED INDIAN" DOLL
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
\
m"^
-?*j^
DAUGHTER OF JOHN PAUL, M I 0 M AC- MONTAGN Al S OF
BADGERS BROOK. IN CARIBOU-SKIN COAT
DRESS
35
smeared over the seams on the inside.
Children's coats were made from the skin
of a caribou calf, with the eye-holes and
ears left in place on the head, which fitted
over the head of the child to form the hood.
This is distinctly like the coats worn by
children of the ]\Iontagnais of Labrador.
Trousers of tanned caribou-skin reaching
almost to the knee, as an article of clothing
correspond also to the early dress of the
Montagnais.
The women wore peaked caps {kdn'i''-
skwe'ic, "pointed top"), descriptions of which
serve to show that they were more like those
of the other Micmac, though of course a
similar article is worn by nearly every Mon-
tagnais woman. The women also wrapped
their hair over two small wooden blocks over
the ears, also after the fashion of the Mon-
tagnais. Neither of these fashions, how-
ever, is to be seen nowadays (pi. x\-i-x\ai).
When we come to consider boots and
moccasins {mki'zi'n), we encounter articles
which evidently suggest Beothuk influence.
The low moccasin of caribou-skin has the
forepart finely puckered like that of the
AND MONOGRAPHS
36
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
Montagnais (pi. xviii, a, b). More char-
acteristic of these Indians, however, is the
boot-moccasin {mu' ksati) ,^^ the pattern of
which is the same as that of Eskimo boots
and those of the Montagnais of the coast.
With feet made of sealskin and the upper
parts of either seal- or caribou-skin, heavily
greased, the article is suggestively Eskimo-
like. Frequently the top of the boot is rein-
forced with a strip of caribou-skin with
the fur on (pi. xviii, c-e). The distinctive
feature of both the moccasin and the boots,
however, is the red stain which they receive
at the hands of their makers before being
considered complete. Discussion of this
peculiarity with the Indians themselves
brought to light the fact that they attribute
the custom of dyeing these articles red to
former contact with the Red Indians.
Since the feature seems to be restricted to
those people, I see little reason to doubt the
likelihood of the connection. Practically
every pair of moccasins I observed worn by
them was dyed red, whether made of
caribou-skin or of seal-skin. To obtain the
red color they soak the hide in water im-
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
DAUGHTER OF JOHN PAUL, M I CM AC-MONTAGN AIS OF
BADGERS BROOK. IN CARIBOU-SKIN COAT
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
MAN'S COAT OF CARIBOU-SKIN WITH THE HAIR ON AND
WITH BUTTONS OF CARIBOU-ANTLER: USED IN WINTER
BY THE BADGER'S BROOK BAND OF MICMAC
W E A V I N G
37
pregnated with spruce, pine, or alder bark,
during the process of tanning ^"^
For a people with rather crude industries,
it seems unusual to find them practising
weaving. Upon a loom {eldaxte 'gan , ' ' weav-
ing instrument"^^) made of wood with from
20 to 30 holes in the bars between the ver-
tical apertures (pi. xix), the women weave
pack-straps {u.'i'sxo''buxsan', "carrying
strap"), shown in pi. xx, a, ft; xxi (compare, in
the Cape Breton dialect of Micmac, Ijk'
xada'u) belts and garters.-* The material
employed in weaving, before sheep wool came
into use, was caribou wool. To obtain the
wool it was combed from the hide, three-
fourths of a pound usualty coming from one
skin. Bear, beaver, otter, and hare skins,
they say, also furnished wool of an inferior
sort. When combed and stretched the wool
was spun on a wooden spindle {mi'man-
Ja'Ton'," spinning instrument"^^), which was
twirled with the fingers (pi. xx, c), the point
restingonaboard. When the woolen strands
are ready to be woven, they are passed
alternately through the holes and slits of
the loom. One end of the group of gathered
AND MONOGRAPHS
38
1
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
strands is tied to a post, or something
equally convenient in the house, and the
other end attached to the belt of the woman
who is to do the weaving. Thus the loom
is near the body of the weaver. By lean-
ing backward then the weaver can make
the cords as tight as she desires. Without
shuttle or bar the weaver then passes the
ball of 3'arn with one hand between the
alternate strands, separated vertically when
the loom is raised with the other hand,
and then back again when the loom is lowered.
This produces an over-one under-one mesh,
and the pattern is determined by the colors
of the strands. PI. xix shows the loom with
an unfinished belt upon it. The art of weav-
ing, the highest artistic accomplishment of
the Newfoundland band, seems more closely
related to the Micmac; nothing like it occurs
among the Montagnais. Several informants
claimed, however, that they had heard of
its derivation from the Red Indians. I
hardly think, though, that such a claim
should be seriously considered.
Another rather fine art is the wea\'ing of
very fine cords of rabbit wool in varied
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
MICMAC-MONTAGNAIS WOMAN AT BADGERS BROOK IN
SEALSKIN CAPOTE WITH SNOWSHOES OF LOCAL TYPE
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
FRANK JOE AND WIFE, M I C M AC- MONTAG N Al S OF ST
GEORGES BAY SETTLEMENT. WEST COAST OF
NEWFOUNDLAND
SNOW SHOES
30
colors to be sewed on the edge of caps, cloth
ing, and the like, sometimes made into
designs as a substitute for beadwork and
painting. This art is comparable with the
former work of the Montagnais in wool
embroidery, and in later days in silk. I
have described this technique in another
paper.^"
Thfe scarcity of skin and cloth bags among
the Newfoundland Indians contrasts with
their abundance among the Montagnais
and even the Micmac of the mainland.
Only a few bags or pouches {nialsewi" ^^)
were obtained (pi. xxn), one of caribou-
skin, dyed red, and another of muskrat-
skin.
Snowshoes (a'ygmk'), shown in pi. xxiii,
are not so finel}' made as are those of
the ]\Iontagnais. They resemble more the
snowshoes of the INIicmac of the mainland.^^
Crooked knives (-u.<aya'yaii); awls with
wooden handles {sisi"san); hide-scrapers
and hair-removers {say'dfi''gan); snowshoe
needles {tatwi'gan) of caribou antler or
bone; netting needles {sa'yadik') of wood
(all shown in pi. xxiv-xxvii), are all of a
AND MO N O G R A V H S
40
B E O T H U K A N D M I C M A C
type common to both the Montagnais and
the Micmac.'^ There is no reason why many
of them should not have been the same among
the Beothuk, since one hair-remover at
least of the common sort was found, as I
have previously mentioned, in a Beothuk
wigwam pit at Badger's Brook (pi. vi).
There is, however, nothing distinctive in any
way about implements of the class described,
Fig. 1.— Leaf of Sarracena purpurea (pitcher plant) used
as an improvised pipe by Newfoundland Indians.
for the types are present among all the
tribes of the northeastern culture group.
Harpoon-heads of antler are represented
in the collection by several types, one for
spearing beaver (smnuskwa'ndi') shown in
pi. xxviii, e; others for seals and caribou
{a, c) . The antler toggle (d) is called pska'o?^
These lances and harpoons, and the fish-
spear {ni'yo'yal; pi. xxvni, &), are also of
the type conmion among the Eskimo, Mon-
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
WIFE OF FRANK JOE WEARI NQTcH ARACTERI STI C HEAD-
COVERING
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
ct
BOOTS AND MOCCASINS OF THE BADGER'S BROOK BAND
OF MICMAC
a, Child's red tanned sealskin moccasin.- h, Man's red tanned caribou-
skin moccasin. -c, Boot of sealskin^with.'caribou-fur trimming, d. Boot
with upper of tanned sealskin andifeetiOfg.caribou-skin (length, 14 in.).
e, Red tanned caribou-skin top boot moccasins
BASKETS
41
tagnais, and Micmac; in fact, throughout the
North.
Smokmg-pipes are improvised from the
leaf of the pitcher-plant {Sarracerm pur-
purea), shown in fig. 1. The green tubular
leaf body endures for a period long enough
for the user to enjoy one filling of it, either
with tobacco or with dried red-willow bark.
The natives also use an improvised pipe
made of a roll of birch-bark. Howley (p.
339) mentions the same smoking materials
and adds that they were probably used
also by the Beothuk.
Maple splint baskets {pudaW e'wi,^'" pi.
xxrx) are the comparatively recent prod-
ucts of an art brought from the Micmac
of the mainland, for nothing of the kind is
found among the Montagnais, nor in fact
was it found in earlier times among any of
the other Wabanaki.^^ On the other hand,
the decorated birch-bark baskets so charac-
teristic of the Montagnais are not common
in Newfoundland either, and we find only a
few of the beautiful quiUworked bark boxes
of the Micmac type. Since porcupines are
not native to Newfoundland, the few old
AND MONOGRAPHS
42
B E 0 T H U K
AND MI CM AC
n
ir.
women who, a genera-
in
1
tion ago, preserved the
Hi
national art of quill-
■l
'J2
work on bark (pi. xxx)
'H
_c
had to import their
iiH
1
quills from Nova Scotia.
ill
c
<L>
Bark boxes are a'luwa-
'm
"3
bax, "oval shaped;" and
m
o
awi'yo'yalayan, "round
1 5
bark box." They were
i''*l' 1
1 "^
formerly common ob-
'' 1
I 1
jects.^^
' '1 .
11 1
From several himters
m
III t
I obtained perforated
1 'l
llill
stones {kwunde'u,
j
Ilii ^
"stone;" pi. xxxi, b,
|'||.!'
Hllk
c) which they cherished
/.I r|,l;
/I'PI
iHiliu.
as luck charms to aid
■\
them in hunting. Nei-
'!>
1
ther among the Montag-
ii
nais nor the Micmac, so
'it-
far, have I encountered
the same fetishes, al-
\i'^K|
fll"';^''":'-':
though I had obtained
' them previously from
.Vi^iF
k
<Ml
the Penobscot of Maine.
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
LOOM OF THE BADGERS BROOK BAND OF MICMAC FOR
WEAVING PACK-STRAPS. BELTS. ETC.
L'nfinishi-iJ belt in loom to show nicthoil of weaving
2 °
53 ii
5 -tI
BEOTHUK CANOES
43
Should these be also considered as Beothuk
borrowings, they are at least of an Algon-
kian nature. A luck charm consisting of
seven lynx teeth attached to a cord was
obtained from a hunter of the Badger's
Brook band. Among all the northern tribes
similar fetish objects are in fashion. Ani-
mals' teeth perforated for suspension have
also been found in Beothuk graves.^^
To conclude this brief account of New-
foundland material culture I might add a few
notes on Beothuk ethnology, giving some
of the ideas possessed by the present Micmac
of the island (see pi. xxxii). "The
Red Indian canoes were made of bark,
shaped like a 'bean' and pomted at the bot-
tom. They were very ticklish, but the
Red Indians could manage them perfectly.
They wore caribou-skin clothes with the
fur turned inside or tanned, and lined with
otter, beaver, or other kinds of fur. They
were not so much characterized by having
their clothing dyed red as their skin. They
wore hooded coats, frequently decorated
with painting, pants and boots."''
A small collection of ethnological objects,
AND MONOGRAPHS
44
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
which my own collection duplicates, ob-
tained from the present-day Indians of the
island, is in the Museum of the Geological
Survey of Newfoundland, having been col-
lected years ago by Mr Howley. They are
of the same type as those just described. A
more important collection of stone imple-
ments from many parts of the coast and
from the Exploits region is also to be seen
there. Some of the bone and antler imple-
ments and the birch-bark receptacles are of
the same type as those which I have just
discussed as being common among the Al-
gonkian of the East in general. One can-
not escape the impression again that the
Beothuk articles in this collection are of a
distinctly Algonkian character.
Gatschet's idea*'' that the Beothuk dif-
fered from most other Indians in being of a
hghter color, in having the excavations in
their lodges for sleeping-berths, in the form
of their canoes, in the non-domestication
of the dog,*^ and the absence of pottery, of
course, is not of great importance, because
most of these remarks would apply to the
ethnology of some of the neighboring tribes.
INDIAN NOTES
B.o™x
(NewfouDdJand)
m..£^^,„,
(Labrador)
WABWiAn (Maledte, PauunS'
Vv of ted oditt on clothing, botly. uttltiib.
"'^""'"■""■^
Red Mhcr occuiooally on
(Penobscot region) (Wil-
"S',fp"1wST.'° '""'■■'""'■ '""■
^ h»p\"«^^ronTl^' '""
Bark wigwam with hoop (alu
Orchard in Amtr. Anihnpal-
'"|ig'„„"'S"»i:'.ors.ss','
RMianeuIftclog wigwam, bark
R ec Langula r ik in -co v«red wig-
■upcrslructure.
Rectangulat log wigwam, bark
^'^I'e.TqTlOir'^'"'"'^
Elevated wpampiU, rec-
Ba.kc=«.x.^,'.^^ ^^^ _ , ^ ^ : ._M.d
'"='""-""^°"
Skin canoe and bark unoe,
"""'""" '"' '""■
sleeves OJowley. p. 212).
"SSt"""''" "'" ""■
sleeve? (Denys. p. 412; Le-
^r.V'.l^eS'^S'^U.,'""'-
Caribou-hock tools (Howlty. pp. 271-32:).
PoioUd cap.
Dtc( Itnec* (Howlty. pp. 6B-.0. 152).
SttttJ.t.
S<m>lflr.
Broad netted in<,»,bo«.
SeinCoiccd bow (Howley, i>. 27 1 ).
""'•""■'""'^ ° °"
needle.. tt«.
SmtiHt.
df«' (benys. pp, 406. 415).
(?)
Wovm »ool p..k-lt.p, ottd
Braided leairitr and willow-
ba.k pack-linw.
Btiidcd biuwood bitk and
Bireb.bark veHCls and reecpUdcs (How-
SiitiiJnr.
S.r>.lar.
Senl Etomiich oil reeeplade (Howlcy, p.
Sittttl.t.
Seal^stomach grease recepta-
Biiby sack (no menlion o( cradle-boa rd|.
Il.b, l.<k.
40i;LcClercq, p. 89).
^xS^f.l'*'"* *""' f^O'^i'y- Pl' w^.
Thtowingdicc giitic.
Throwing-dice, and dke-nnd-
Moitttnals' ikuJls piescrved as
^^pilcI^edlTe™' '''""'
S,m,l.t.
Seri« of triangles thief mo live ir. decora-
tive engravine (Howlcy, pi. xxxv-
^'"S-A"""'" '" '"''
Irianglcs in wood-carving.
Geometrical figures in clchinn
triangles in nood-cnrving.
Ttjo,te^.»nj«onnoil™, In
"pas^im'Dnd''p.'lSO)'" *"'"''*^' ^' "' "
Similar^ (aUo^«alping. U-
Corpie wrapped in birch-baik
S)S£lnHrbEVof-
coffin!""' '"
S,m,Inr type (also De-.>-., p.
.,nu)ar type.
"""""""■
r
73 a.
.<
o^-
cr ^
, <
-' a.
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
TOBACCO-POUCHES OF THE BADGER'S BROOK BAND OF
MICMAC
a, Of red tanned cariijou-skiii, with string of spun caribou wool; width,
41 in. b. Of muskrat-skin
BEOTHUK ETHNOLOGY
45
]\Ioreover, the isolated fact that the Beo-
thuk used the inner bark of Pinus balsanii-
fera for food^^ is, like many other customs,
not an exclusive one, because the Mon-
tagnais do the same with the iimer rind
of canoe birch when pressed by famine.
The accompanying tabulated ethnologi-
cal summary has been prepared for the con-
venience of the reader. It reveals, on the
basis of what is known of Beothuk ethnol-
og\', the degree of resemblance of the Beo-
thuk to the Micmac-Montagnais of New-
foundland, and that of these two peoples
individually to the Montagnais north of the
St Lawrence and to the IMicmac and the
Wabanaki tribes south of that stream. A
tabulation of this nature is of course valu-
able only to a limited extent, because we
cannot rely on the significance of anything
negative owing to the incompleteness of
our knowledge of the Beothuk. As for the
other tribes in the columns, since the list is
not intended to focus their characteristics as
a body apart from those of the Beothuk, the
significance of the comparison is even less,
for its scope is restricted to the Beothuk
AND MONOGRAPHS
46
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
correspondences. The blank spaces in the
columns denote that the particular feature
is lacking, so far as the data show. The
references in the Beothuk column are to
Howley's monograph; the statements refer-
ring to the other tribes are based mostly on
my own field observations. The other au-
thorities, where mentioned, are: Nicholas
Denys, The Description and Natural His
tory of the Coasts of North America . . .
Paris, 1672, reprinted in Publications of the
Champlain Society, Toronto, 1908, by W.
F. Ganong; and Father Chrestien Le Clercq,
New Relation of Gaspesia . . . Paris, 1691.
reprinted in Publications of the Champlain
Society, Toronto, 1910, by W. F. Ganong.
FOLKLORE NOTES FROM THE NEWFOUND-
LAND BAND
In the ancient Micmac nomenclature of
Newfoundland are a few names connected
with Beothuk history. Red Indian lake
is Meywe'djewa'gi', "Red Indian lake."
The various Red Indian camp-sites, the old
deer fences, and especially the large camp-
INDIAN NOTES
FOLKLORE
47
site at Red Indian point (pi. xxxni),
are familiar to all the present-day Indians.
The melancholy history of their former con-
geners and speculations as to their ultimate
fate are subjects that appeal strongly to the
Micmac. In general the idea that the Mic-
mac-Montagnais aided in the remorseless
activities against the Beothuk arouses
somewhat indignant denial among them.
Despite the fact that historical notices, most
of which I find have been disseminated from
only one or two sources, mention the Mic-
mac among the persecutors of the Red Indi-
ans, it must be confessed that I myself am
rather skeptical on the point. The Micmac
sincerely profess pity for the unfortunate
tribe, and commiserate their hard life in the
interior, terrified as they fancy by the en-
croachments of people with firearms, and
driven away from the benefit of intercourse
with those who could have furnished them
with modern utensils and religion. The
Indians of Newfoundland today regard the
Red Indians as a people who were doomed
to their fate through an unconquerable fear
of their fellow-men, Micmac as well as Euro-
AND MONOGRAPHS
48
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
pean. In a way it might throw Ught upon
the situation to refer to the fact that the
Montagnais of Labrador, I find, regard their
neighbors, the Naskapi of the interior, in
the same light. It is common to hear- Mon-
tagnais hunters from the coast relate how,
when they chanced upon a remote camp of
Naskapi in their wanderings, the latter fled
in fear before those who were clothed in
white men's garments.
Returning to the subject of local nomen-
clature, there is another place known to the
English as Hodge's mountain, some dis-
tance northeast of the village of Badger's
Brook. This is called Meywe'za'xsit, "red-
faced person." It is claimed that a Mic-
mac hunter many years ago discovered a
Red Indian camp on its slopes. Every-
thing was intact in a lone wigwam discov-
ered there, which was lined with caribou-
skins (incidentally another Algonkian re-
semblance). Here, Louis John clauns, is
where the last Red Indians are thought to
have starved to death during a severe win-
ter storm.
Some historical accounts from Indian
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
SNOWSHOES OF THE BADGERS BROOK BAND OF MICMAC
Uolh arc filled with caribouhide thongs; b is 36 in. long
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
d
PICK, AWLS AND KNIVES OF THE BADGER'S BROOK BAND OF
MICMAC
a, Antler pick for punching meat to be smoke-dried, h, c. Crooked
knives (wa'ya'yan). d. Iron awl {slsi'gan). e, Iron awl with carved
handle. Leniith of c. 9J in.
BUCHAN
sources and some miscellaneous Beothuk lore
gathered incidentally in the interior are next
presented.'*'
The Story of Buchan's Expedition*^
(Related by John Paul, of Badger's Brook,
Xe^vfoundland, 68 years of age in 1914,
who heard it from his grandfather^-)
■'Captain Buchan, with a jMicmac and a
Mountaineer Indian for guides, went to capture
some Red Indians. They ascended Exploits
river in the winter and with the help of their
guides who knew the country well, discovered a
Red-Indian camp at Red Indian point, ^"^ where
the chief lived. The Micmac and Mountaineer
guide enabled the party to make friends with
the people at the camp. Buchan told the Red
Indians that he had presents for them back on
Exploits river, and said that he would take two
of them back with him to get the stufiF. So he
left two of his outi men at the camp. So they
started back to the mouth of Exploits. When
they got to Rushy pond, caribou footprints were
seen and the two Red Indians were told by sig-
nals to give chase. The two then started off,
not understanding apparently for what reason
the}' were sent away. By the next night they
had not returned, and Buchan told the Micmac
and Mountaineer to track them. They started
on the track and came back to report that the
Red Indians' trail led back toward Red Indian
lake. So then the whole party started back
and reached the camp at Red Indian point.
49
AND MONOGRAPHS
50
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
It was deserted, but the two white men were
found beheaded. Then Buchan gave chase, but
his party was unable to follow them because
there were footprints in confusion all over the
snow on the lake. So Buchan went to several of
their abandoned camps and put gunpowder in
all the fireplaces so that they would blow up
when the Red Indians came back to light the
fires at their old camps. Afterward, of course,
a lot of the Red Indians were killed by the
device.
"Some time later John Peyton and another
man (named Day?) went to the interior to cap-
ture some Red Indians. They struck the head-
waters of Mary March brook and went down
walking on the ice until they came to the
mouth, at the north arm of Red Indian lake.
This is now Mary March's point, right at the
village of Millertown.'*' Here they found a
family camping. They approached slyly and
took the family by surprise. They took hold
of the woman, Mary March, and her husband
came to her aid. They then shot five balls
into him before he fell. He was a very big
man, seven feet tall, as they measured him
with their feet while he lay at full length on the
ice. Mary JMarch then pointed out to the
white men her fuU breasts to show that she had
a child, and pointed up to the heavens to implore
them, in God's mercy, to allow her to return to
her child. But they took her away with them
and returned to St John where she died after a
while.
"My grandfather [John Paul speaking] re-
membered when he went to St John and saw
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MrCMAC
BONE AND ANTLER IMPLEMENTS OF THE BADGER'S BROOK
BAND OF MICMAC
a, b. Caribou-bone scrapers (lciiii');aii) for scrapinR hair from hides.
c, d. Antler piercers for perforalinj; margin of hides for lacing when put
on frames to be scraped, c, Caribou leg-bone scraper. /, Antler hide-
scraper for scraping grease from skin- ulnn ■^l rclrhi-d on frames
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
PUNCH. NEEDLES. AND CHISEL OF THE BADGER'S BROOK
BAND OF MICMAC
(a, caribou-bone punch for reeulating me?h of snowshoe filling (ilewe'gan);
7i in. long, b, Snowshoe needle of caribou-bone (talwi'gan). c. Snow-
shoe needle of caribou-antler, d, Iron chisel (waliski'gan, sabiski'gan) for
cutting mortise holes in snowshoe frames
MIC MAC LORE
51
Mary March. At the time he wore a pair of
caribou-skin boots. Poor ^lary, when she saw
the boots, pointed to them and was so glad to see
something that reminded her of her people.
My grandfather thought she was very good-
looking and of a fair complexion. They used
red clay to color themselves with, which is
known to abound in certain localities on Exploits
river and Red Indian lake."
.-1 Meeting Between a Bed Indian s
Family and a Micmac Family
(Also by John Paul's dictation)
"My grandfather and grandmother were once
coming up Exploits river in their canoe. Sud-
denly coming around a bend they beheld a Red
Indian and his wife in a canoe coming down.
When the Red Indian saw them he quickly
paddled ashore and he and his wife hurried into
the woods to hide, taking only his bow and
arrows. The ^Micmac paddled alongside the
empty canoe and there saw a small child lying
in the bottom, but there was nothing to eat in
the canoe. Then my grandfather said to his
wife: 'They have nothing to eat and must be
going down to the bay [Exploits bay] for fish.
Let us put some of our smoked meat in their
canoe.' So he put some meat in for a present
and paddled on. When they got around the
point, they went ashore and walked back
through the thicket to where they could see
the Red Indian's canoe. They beheld the Red
Indian soon come down to his canoe, look in,
AND MONOGRAPHS
52
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
then beckon to his wife, who came out. Then
he pointed out to her the meat in the canoe.
Then he pointed to where my grandfather had
gone up-river in his canoe and paddled off."
An Encounter with Red Indians near
Twillingate
(Told by an old man at MiUertown Junction)
"Near Twillingate the fishermen often went
into the interior to hunt and trap, leaving their
women folks home until their return. One time
an old fellow went hunting, and during his
absence one night a couple of Red Indians
came and got upon the roof of the shack. The
fisherman's wife got frightened and called to her
children to bring the gun. As soon as the Red
Indians heard the word 'gun,' which they
seemed to understand, they fled."
An Encounter near Dildo Arm
(Told by Mr Hartigan at MiUertown)
"One time near Dildo Arm some hunters who
went into the woods left their guns at their
camp, not suspecting any danger. Some Red
Indians discovered the camp and were exam-
ining the outfit. The young white men hid and
watched the Indians. One of the Indians was
peeking down the barrel of a gun which was
loaded, while another was fingering around the
trigger. The gun suddenly went off and blew
off the head of the Indian. They were very
wild and unsophisticated people, and fled in
terror."
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
cu
WOODEN NETTING IMPLEMENTS OF THE BADGERS BROOK
BAND OF MICMAC
a. Netting needle. 6, Xettins mesh-block for making fishnets, c, </,
Net floats, charred to prevent waterlogging, (/is II in. long
< o « ?
"3 ■^ - o £?
I ^ -c -o c
X o .b
CO — _;1313
Li. ^ O S t,
i°
< Q
o-a
O rt
to" < ^^ g
Q m :3 I. o
a
UJ
0.-2
•O he
MI CM AC LORE
53
Miscellaneous Anecdotes
A. (Told by William Beaton, a Micmac-^Mon-
tagnais at Badger's Brook)
"There was once, it is told, a large schooner
loaded with fifty tierces of codfish anchored ofif
the shore in Twillingate bay. The crew had
gone ashore, and during one night the schooner
was boarded by some Red Indians and dis-
mantled. When the crew returned they found
all her sails cleared away and her ropes all gone.
All her instruments and clocks were also taken.
The Red Indians took everything in the outfit.
They used the sails for tents and clothing.
Years afterward the works of the clocks stolen
from this schooner, it is supposed, were found
by some hunters on the shores of Exploits
• » * -
nver.
B. (Told by Mr Tuck, of Millertown,^who,
when he was a boy, heard it from
John Day himself) ^'^
John Day, who died some years ago at
Springdale, was with Peyton when he cap-
tured Mar>' March. They had to kill her hus-
band by shooting seven balls into him. Then
he sat down and could not move any more
after the seventh shot. Mary March showed
the men her breasts full for her sucking child,
but nevertheless they carried her away."
c. (Told by Louis John, a :Micmac-Montagnais
at Badger's Brook)
"Ben Jore's grandfather was killed by the
Red Indians near the mouth of Exploits river.
AND MONOGRAPHS
54
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
They cut off his head, put it on a pole, and
danced around it."
D. (Told by an old Scotchman at Millertown
Junction, recalling memories of his youth.
He added, "The Red Indians were such bad
people I fancy it was no sin to kill them!")
"The last evidence of the Red Indians was
seen at Grand lake by a hunter many years ago.
One year he saw a big smoke on an island in the
lake. A canoe-load of Indians was seen going
from the shore to the island.- The hunter was
afraid to investigate further at the time, but
the next year he went to the same place. This
time, however, he did not see any more traces
of the Indians."
As an instance of the friendly relations
claimed by the Micmac-Montagnais with
the Red Indians, which I have already
mentioned, Louis John, quoted above, says
that his grandfather's father was employed
by the English to guide them to Red Indian
lake to try to capture some Red Indians.
When he found a Red Indians' camp he
would tell the poor folk to run, and then
he would return and tell the Englishmen
that he saw some Red Indians, but that they
ran off. "The Micmacs never molested the
Red Indians," declared ^Louis John.
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
SPLINT BASKETRY OF THE BADGERS BROOK BAND OF
MICMAC
a shows a splint wall-pocket; the others are hand and trinket baskets
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
It0
BIRCH-BARK BOXES OF THE BADGERS BROOK BAND OF
MICMAC
a, Box covered with porcupine-quill work, h, \'ery old birch-bark and
wooden box, covered with quillwork, made by old "Aunt Ellen" Paul,
oldest of the Newfoundland Micmac. c. Birch-bark box with cover
SANTU 55
THE CASE OF SANTU
The most surprising occurrence, however,
in recent years concerning the fate of the
Beothuk Indians was the accidental dis-
covery of an old Indian woman named
Santu, who claimed that her father was one
of the last survivors of the Red Indians of
Newfoundland. Since considerable discus-
sion was aroused over the innocent claim of
the old woman when I had made it public,
I shall give the circumstances in some detail,
for the benefit of those who may wish to
determine to what extent her testimony
may be relied on, before making use of the
information and the brief vocabulary
obtained from her.
Mr James P. Howley, Director of the
Geological Survey of Newfoundland, who
for more than forty years has been inter-
ested in the history of the Beothuk, during
a visit I made him at St Johns in 1914,
expressed his unbelief in Santu's veracity.^^
Notwithstanding the fact that Mr Howley's
opinions, based on his extensive knowledge
of Newfoundland history and physiography.
AND MONOGRAPHS
56
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
deserve serious consideration, I hardly think,
under the curcumstances, that the conclu-
sions of one trained in sciences other than
ethnology are sufficient to warrant abso-
lutely casting aside information which may
be of value, and which on the face of it
does bear some semblance of truthfulness.
In July, 1910, I happened to talk over
ethnological matters with a family of Mic-
mac who were temporarily camped near
Gloucester, Mass. The family consisted of
an aged woman, her son, his wife and child
(pi. xxxiv-xxxvi) . They all spoke Micmac.
The family name was Toney. On inquiring
of the young man, Joe Toney, where he was
born, he told me in Newfoundland. Then
becoming more interested, I inquired if his
mother was a native of Newfoundland, and
he replied that she was. After a few min-
utes' talk with his mother, he said that she
was not a true Micmac, but that her father
was an Osa'yan'a Indian from Red Pond,
Newfoundland. This naturally startled me,
because it referred indirectly to the suppos-
edly extinct Beothuk. Further conversa-
tion with the young man, who translated
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK— BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
FETISH OBJECTS OF THE BADGERS BROOK BAND OF MICMAC
a. Hunters luck-charm of lyiix-leelh. b, <, llunttr's luck-charms
{kwundeu) of stone, kept about the house on a strinK
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
MICMAC DOLL REPRESENTING 'RED INDIAN" (.BEOTHUK)
S A N T U
57
my questions to his mother, disclosed the
fact that she was endeavoring to explain to
me that, while her mother was a Micmac
woman, her father was a member of the
tribe which had been exterminated in the
island by white men. There was at this
time in her statements no idea of boasting,
nor of gaining money or favor. She did not
claim to know any words of her father's
language, but declared her willingness, if I
would give her time, to try to recall some.
On one thing she was definite at the very
first: that her father claimed that he had
been stained red when he was a baby among
his own people, and that his people were
very crude and were persecuted by the
EngUsh. He had, it seems, been taken by
the Micmac when he was young, reared by
them, and converted to Christianity. i\s
for the rest, suffice to say that I spent time
when possible during the rest of the summer
in following the family about from one sum-
mer resort to another, encouraging the old
lady, through her son, to endeavor to recall
all that she could of what she had heard her
father narrate of his early life and people.
AND MONOGRAPHS
58
BEOTHUK AND M I C M A C
The old woman was very difficult to work
with; because of growing senility she was
unable to concentrate her attention on any
one thing for a sufficient length of time
really to accomplish anything. Petty fam-
ily troubles and present ills consumed her
interest. And so by eking out reminis-
cences of that period of her life when she
lived with her father in Newfoundland, I
tediously gathered the information that
follows. In September I lost traces of the
family, which, I learned later, had moved
to Attleboro, Mass.'*^ Knowing the old
woman's manner and the circumstances, I
am convinced that she was not intention-
ally fabricating a story. My only distrust
of the material she was able to give lies in
the accuracy of her memory, especially in
regard to her vocabulary.
THE informant's HISTORY
Santu was born in Newfoundland near
"Red Pond" (Red Indian lake), about
seventy-five years ago (dating from 1912).
Her father, "ivo/>" (name of a red root found
in the lake, according to her vocabulary),^"
INDIAN NOTES
m
uj — E
Q-l- g
LUq
—
xoc
1
^-o
>-o
o_
_lO
q:<
«
UJ .
"l^
5^
to
0:3
8
ox
o
b-H
vO
c^
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
PL. XXXIV
SANTU AND HER SON. JOE TONEY
S A N T L' 59
was a full-blood native of a tribe which called
itself Osa'yan'a. The name is also known
among the Micmac as Osa'yan'a. With
her father she left Newfoundland at about
the age of ten, or a little less, and removed
to Nova Scotia, where she passed her early
womanhood. Her mother was a IMicmac
woman, one of the band who lived in New-
foundland. She died, it seems, when Santu
was quite young. A\'hen Santu grew up, she
married a Mohawk and spent part of her
time in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia,
and part in roaming about in the neighbor-
hood of the Great Lakes with her ^Mohawk
husband until the Civil War broke out,
when, to escape being drafted, he led her
wandering again throughout the northeast-
ern states and eastern Canada. Her hus-
band then died. Santu returned to Nova
Scotia and married a Micmac chief near
Yarmouth, whose name was Toney. Liv-
ing there a while, she had four or five chil-
dren, and finally, with her youngest son,
separated from her husband and since then
has been drifting about the New England
states with him, earning an uncertain living
AND M O N O G R A P H S
60
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
by basket-making, bead-working, and for-
tune-telling. Her one son, Joe Toney, still
lives with her. He has married a Micmac
woman of Nova Scotia, and they have one
child (1912).
ETHNOLOGICAL NOTES
Santu remembers in her childhood having
traveled with her father in the skin canoes
which seem to have been one of the types
of craft in use by the Osa'ya)i'a.''^ While
the details of construction given by Santu
were very vague, it seems that the canoe
was more of a kayak. It was about fifteen
feet in length and about two and a half in
width, constructed on a wooden framework
with a caribou- or seal-skin covering sewed
with water-tight seams. The seams were
sewed by laying the two edges together,
bending them over and sewing the three
thicknesses together. Bone awls, she said
were used to perforate the holes for the
stitches. The bow of the canoe, she re-
marked, was straightened and stiffened by a
piece of spruce-bark (sic),'"- and another
curved piece held the stern in shape. The
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
v"V^^
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
m>
JOE TONEY
S A N T U
bottom was found. At the back sat the
man with his paddle. The whole front of
the craft was covered with the skin, forming
an enclosure large enough to contain the
whole famih', including women, children,
dogs, and property. At his side and in
front of him the man had his harpoon and
other necessaries fastened on the side of the
deck. It is to be understood from this
description that a covered kayak-like type
of boat is described. The skin-covering of
the canoe was so arranged that it could be
wrapped around the waist of the man so
that no water could come into the hold in
rough weather In this craft the family
traveled all over the country by waterways
and coast, day and night. When a landing
and camp were to be made the cover would
be taken off the canoe, poles cut for a wig-
wam, and a temporary camp made until it
was time to move on. Santu herself re-
members being bundled in with dogs and
members of her family, and traveling by
night and day with her father.
The people, she claimed, subsisted largely
on sea mammals' llesh and caribou, using the
61
AND MONOGRAPHS
62
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
harpoon, for killing the former and the bow
and arrow for the latter. When an animal
was killed with an arrow, the arrow was
never used again, but thrown away as a
kind of sacrifice.
Flesh to be eaten was thrown on the fire
and only partly roasted. Her father, she re-
members, would eat little or no vegetal food
nor bread. His diet consisted mostly of
half -roasted meat.
A certain species of leaves was smoked in
stone pipes. ^^
Allowance should be made for the proba-
bility that in some of these descriptions the
old woman's memory was so hazy that she
could not distinguish between what she
intended to claim as applying to the cus-
toms of her father's people and those of the
Micmac-Montagnais among whom they
lived.
The most interesting information is that
describing an annual ceremony participated
in by the tribe at "Red Pond." It took
place in the spring of the year when the tribe
gathered and enjoyed, to use Santu's phrase,
"a big time." Games were played, among
INDIAN NOTES
S A N T U
them the dice-and-bowl game in two forms.
One of these was with seven dice discs and
a bowl,"'* and seventeen counters — four
square ones and a crooked one called the
"chief." The other form of the game was
played with one large die, about two inches
across, and six small ones, which were thrown
upon a blanket or a hide and struck side-
wise with the hand.^^ Men only played the
latter. The Micmac and other eastern
tribes, she claimed, learned this game orig-
inally from her people. It is worthy of note
that this game does not occur among the
Wabanaki west of the Micmac. Dancing
and feasting accompanied the event. At a
certain time the men procured quantities of a
kind of red root from the lake and squeezed
from it the juice which was used for staining
their bodies red. The ceremony is said to
have lasted about ten days. Every person
in the tribe was dyed. Children who were
born during the year away in the hunting
territories were brought to this ceremony
for the first time and received their coat of
dye, which was to last them for the year.
It is supposed that under certain conditions
63
AND MONOGRAPHS
64
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
the dye could be renewed, though the ap-
plication of the coloring was regarded as a
kind of initiation and mark of tribal iden-
tity. One good appHcation is said to have
lasted six months. Santu's father, she
claimed, was the last child to have been
treated in this way. When he grew up he
was converted to Catholicism and gave up
his behef in the necessity of the red dye. If
anyone was observed by the chief to have
some of the coloring washed from any part
of his body, he was ordered to go to water
and wash off his dye as a punishment, and
not to renew it until the next ceremony. ^^
Santu heard the tradition from her father
that in his grandfather's time (?) a ship was
wrecked off the coast of Newfoundland and
all hands were drowned except two women
who, with the help of the natives, were
brought ashore. One of them shortly after-
ward died; the other remained with the
tribe, married one of the men, and spent
her Hfe there. Her father thought that he
was descended from this woman.
Several opinions expressed by Santu re-
garding her father's people may be of value.
INDIAN NOTES
S A N T U 65
One was in reply to a direct question as to
whether her father's people were of mixed
Eskimo and Indian blood. Friendly rela-
tions, she said, were maintained with the
Labrador Eskimo and Indians. Some of
her father's people, she said, when dis-
persed, joined them. She remembers, while
living in Nova Scotia, a paternal uncle or
great-uncle returning from Greenland where
he had emigrated and intermarried with the
Eskimo there. He claimed that others of
their people were in Greenland, all inter-
married with Eskimo, and that there were
a number of children. He died there within
six months after coming to Nova Scotia.
Santu stated that she had a relative (I fail
to recall whether it was a cousin or a brother)
somewhere who knew a great deal of the
Osa'yan'a language.
The Micmac, she said, came to New-
foundland a long time ago and for a while,
with the white people, fought her people.
Afterward a number intermarried with the
Osa'yocn'a, some of the descendants of the
latter being still scattered here and there
AND MONOGRAPHS
66
BEOTHUK AND .M I C M A C
among the Micmac of Newfoundland and
elsewhere.
There seems little doubt from Santu's
statements that Osa'yan'a descendants may
be found in the maritime provinces and that
the tribal name itself is one of the native
terms for the tribe known in history as the
Beothuk.
Santu, with great difficulty during the
summer, remembered the following w^ords in
her father's language:
be'nam, woman (Micmac and ]\Ialecite epil,
Penobscot p'hc'nam).
gu'wa, fat person (Micmac me'gigil).
gau, rain (Micmac gi'kpcsa").
has, baby cradle, or cradle-board,
tu'i^, baby blanket (]\Iicmac u'ohi''sun).
se'ko, prayer (Micmac alasic'dma).
si'kane's'u, whale (Micmac po'dap, Penobscot
-es 11, "living creature," noun ending in animal
names).
Note: ^, ^, weakly articulated final conso-
nants.
Her father's people, Santu alleged, used
their hands a great deal in conversation.
The only word in the above list in which
any resemblance can be recognized as occur-
ring in any of the pubhshed Beothuk lists
INDIAN NOTES
SANTU I 67
is the term he nam, "woman." Compare
emam- {emumoose), "woman" (Peyton vo-
cabulary; (Lloyd in Journal of the Anthropo-
logical Institute of Great Britain and Ireland,
1875), and cnam, "woman," given by Patter-
son in Transactions of the Royal Society of
Canada, vol. x.
Among other reminiscences I add the
following song, transcribed by Mr J. D.
Sapir from a phonograph record made by
Santu while she was camped at Hampton
Beach, N. H., in 1910. It was a rendition
of a song that she had learned from her
father when she was a girl. She claimed
that her father told her that it was an
Osa'yoin'a song.
The syllables were too inarticulate to be
taken down at the time, I am sorry to say.
Santu stated that she was unable to explain
them, because they had no sequence of mean-
ing to her.
Again during my trip in Newfoundland
I inquired of several elderly Indians about
the woman Santu. John Paul, already
mentioned, knew of a woman of Santu's
description who had gone to Nova Scotia
AND MONOGRAPHS
•r'
S A N T U 69
and was there the wife of a wealthy ISIicmac
chief named Toney. He furthermore, much
to my inward surprise, credited the claim
that her father had been a man of Red
Indian blood. He stated that the thing
was not only possible, but that it might
well be expected to be true, considering the
sedentary habits of many of the Micmac
hunters and the secretiveness of the Indians
concerning the Red Indians a generation or
so ago through fear of retaliation or at least
molestation at the hands of the English,
since such a stir had been raised over them.
From IVIicmac in Newfoundland I even
learned of another man, George McCloud,
whom no one could locate at the time.
He was said to have knowledge not only of
the Red Indian language, but also of where
descendants could still be found in Labrador
If, despite the meagerness of our actual
knowledge of the tribe, any conclusions are
at all permissible, I believe the indications
will increasingly show that the Beothuk
formed an archaic member of the culture
group which embraced the Micmac and the
other northeastern Algonkian. This is a
AND MONOGRAPHS
70
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
strong corroboration of the evidence of lin-
guistic relationship with the Algonkian.
As for the likelihood of Eskimo relationship,
the links of union, either archeological or
otherwise, are not a bit stronger than be-
tween the Eskimo and the INIontagnais.
The next thing to be done in this field,
aside from systematic archeological research,
is to collect a sufficient quantity of mytho-
logical material from the Newfoundland In-
dians for comparison with that of the Alic-
mac of the mainland in order to determine,
if possible, traces of what might be consid-
ered Beothuk influence.
INDIAN NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
1. The primary object of the expedition, if it
might be 'called one, was to trace the re-
mains among the ]\Iicmac of the old
Algonkian institution of the family hunt-
ing territory, wliich was first mentioned
in this region by Le Clercq in 1691. The
results form part II of this paper.
2. C. C. Willoughby, Prehistoric Burial Places
in jSIaine, Ardiaeological and Ethnological
Papers of the Peabodv Museum, vol. 1,
no. 6, Cambridge, 1898.
3. W. K. Moorehead, The Red Paint People
of Maine, Amcriean Anthropologist, vol.
15, no. 1, 1913.
4. F. G. Speck, An Ancient Archeological Site
on the Lower St Lawrence, Holmes An-
niversary Volume. Washington, 1916.
5. J. P. Howiey, The Beothuks or Red Indians
of Newfoundland . . ., Cambridge
University Press, 1915.
6. Mr Howiey (op. cit., p. xix) in his intro-
duction rather indefinitely favors the
theory of Athabascan affinity. He says:
"On the authority of the late Sir Wil-
liam Dawson ... a tradition existed
among the Micmac tribes of Nova Scotia
that a previous people occupied that ter-
ritory whom the Micmacs drove out and
who were probably allied to the Tinne or
Chippewan stock. These, he thinks, may
have passed over to Newfoundland and
become the progenitors of the Beothuks.
This supposition appears to me to carry
with it a ccmsiderable amount of proba-
71
AND M O N 0 G R -^ P H S
72
BEOTHUK AND M I C M A C
bility. Here, isolated and undisturbed
for several centuries, untainted by inter-
mixture with other tribes, they could re-
tain all their original traits of character,
language, etc., which remained with them
as distinctive features down to the last
moments of their existence
Under all circumstances surrounding
this mysterious tribe, we must only fall
back upon the suggestion of Sir William
Dawson as the most plausible theory to
account for their presence here."
7. The derivation of this term is not clear to
the informants, beyond the plural adjec-
tival suffix — wi'ak. In the Micmac
names here given, the character 7 de-
notes a velar voiced sperant, x the cor-
responding surd.
8. Page h) oi this paper.
9. W. H. ^Mechling, Malecite Tales, Anlhro-
■pological Series, Geological Survey of
Canada, no. 4, 1914, p. 65.
10. Ibid., p. 65, footnote.
11. Howley, op. cit., p. 286.
12. See also S. T. Rand, Dictionary of the
Language of the ^NI icmac Indians, 1888,
p. 215. Howley (op. cit., pp. 284^6) gives
a ]Micmac tradition from Nova Scotia
relating to the Beothuk. C. G. Leland
(Algonquin Legends of New England,
Boston, 1885, pp. 206-7), in commenting
on a Passamaquoddy tale in which the
wolverene marries a red woman whose
color rubbed off when she was touched,
entertains the rather" far-fetched idea
INDIAN NOTES
NOTES
that the tale referred to the "Newfound-
land Indians covered with red ochre."
13. Cf. Howle}^ op. cit., p. 30, where he quotes
Cartwright's description.
14. These fences are known also to the ^lon-
tagnais of Labrador, who call them
nkrd'aga>ia'ck"'^', and were used by the New
England Indians. Cf. The History of
Philip's War, ... by Thomas Church, Esq.
. . . with an appendix, . . . Samuel G.
Drake, 2nd ed.. Exeter, N. H., 1829, p. 340.
15. Anecdotes will later be given. Howley (op.
cit., pp. 91-2, 269, 271, 280) refers to
this activit}'^ on the part of the Beothuk.
16. Resume of material quoted from part II of
this volume.
17. The same omen is found generally through-
out the tribes of the Wabanaki group.
18. Rand, op. cit., p. 200. An almost identical
tale among the Passamaquoddy accounts
for the hostility between them and the Mo-
hawk. (Cf. J. D. Prince, Passamaquoddy
Documents, Annals of N. Y. Academy
of Science, 1898, vol. xi, no. 15, p. 371.)
19. Several historical sources agree on this
point, Cormack, Howlej', and Jukes.
Howley (op. cit., pp. 25-26) quotes a tra-
dition from J. B. Jukes, Excursions in
Newfoundland, London, 1842, p. 129.
20. Cf. Howley, op. cit., pp. 29-30, quoting
Cartwright's Journal. Cartwright de-
scribes the construction of the square or
winter camp of logs placed horizontally
to form the lower part, and the bark
pyramidal roof. The hoop, he says.
AND MONOGRAPHS
73
74
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
appear near the top of the roof. The
hoop seems to be a feature differentiating
the wigwam construction of the tribes of
the Waban- ki and M ntag ais groups
from that of all other northern peoples of
America. Consult also Howley (op. cit.,
p. 245 and sketch vi), who mentions this
feature of construction.
21. Cf. W. C. Orchard, Notes on Penobscot
Houses, American Anthropoloi^ist, vol.
II, no. 4 (1909), p. 602.
22. Howley, op. cit., pp. 31-33, quotes Cart-
wright in full and also gives figures of
miniature canoes in his own collection
(pis. XXXI, xxxiv).
23. Cormack in his Journal says that the Mic-
mac whom he met in the interior of the
island told him that the Red Indians used
skin canoes similar to their own (quoted
by Howley, op. cit., p. 152, also p. 213)
24. This information is confirmed by Denys
(1672), who describes in some detail the
method of applying the colors. (Cf.
Nicholas Denys, The Description and
Natural History of the Coasts of North
America, edition of the Champlain
Society, Toronto, 1908, by W. F. Ganong;
p. 411.) Le Clercq mentions the same
thing. (Cf. Chrestien Le Clercq, New
Relation of Gaspesia, edition of the Cham-
plain Society, Toronto, 1910, by \V. F.
Ganong, p. 96.)
25. Another name is te'hu'Vk', a term possibly of
English origin, from "the boots." Cf.
also Rand, Micmac Dictionary, p. 41.
INDIAN NOTES
NOTES
26. Footwear made of the leg skin or hock of the
caribou is mentioned as a characteristic
of the Beothuk (Howley, op. cit., pp.
271, 322). The same thing is common
among the ^licmac and the rest o"f the
northern and eastern Algonkian.
27. Rand (Micmac Dictionary, p. 161) has
iiltdkld'giijid', "loom," and (p. 278)
cltaktadgd, "to weave."
28. Mention of weaving on a frame was made by
Nicholas Denys (1672), op, cit. Rand
(ilicmac-English Dictionary, p. 255)
gives uiskobooksoon, "straps."
29. Rand (Micmac Dictionary, p. 249) gives
mimitndd', "to spin flax on a little
wheel."
30. F. G. Speck, The Double Curve Motive in
Northeastern .\lgonkian Art, Geological
Siirvev of Canada, Anthropological Series,
no. 1,' 1914, p. 11, fig. 14.
31. Rand (Micmac Dictionary', p. 201) gives
vwolsdud', "pouch."
32. Howley fop. cit., p. 87) reproduces Cart-
wright's figure of a Beothuk snowshoe in
which the shape and proportions are
almost identical with those of the ordi-
nary Micmac article used on the island
today (see pi. xxiii). The dimensions
of the Beothuk shoe are given as: width
15 inches, body 3 5 feet, tail 1 foot, which
are about the same as those of the speci-
mens Just referred to.
33. For these terms Rand (op. cit., p. 151) gives
udkagiin'igiin, "crooked knife," (p. 178)
/:>
AND MONOGRAPHS
76
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
tadooigun, "snowshoe needle," and sakiide,
"needle."
34. For these implements Rand (Micmac Dic-
tionary, p. 129) has: iipskaoo, "harpoon,"
shnoogivode, "spear," and negok, "salmon
spear" (p. 246).
35. Supposedly a- corruption of French panier.
Rand (Alicmac Dictionary, p. 31), poota-
lediid.
36. I have introduced a brief treatment of the
northward spread of splint basketry in
Decorative Art and Basketry of the
Cherokee, Bulletin of the Public Museum
of Mikvaukee, vol. 2, no. 2, 1920.
37. Bark vessels and baskets were common Beo-
thuk manufactures (Howley, op. cit., pp.
249, 214 and sketch vii, and pi. xxxi,
xxxrv')- The types and details of stitch-
ing are the same as in the ordinary In-
dian specimens. In the Beothuk names
for these receptacles, guinya butt, "water
bucket" (also booch-moot, "seal stomach
oil bag"), we recognize cognate Algonkian
— miut'' (Montagnais),-?;/" (IMalecite), and
-udi (Penobscot), "receptacle."
38. Howley, op. cit., p. 340 and pi. xxv.
39. Quoting John Paul.
40. Article on Beothuk in Handbook of Ameri-
can Indians, Bulletin 30, Bureau of Ameri-
can Ethnology, part I, p. 142.
41. This negative information cannot be relied
on, as several accounts contradict one
another on the point. Cf. Howley (pp.
19-20), quoting Richard Whitbourne, A
Discourse a d Discoverv of the Xewe-
INDIAN NOTES
NOTES
founde-launde, London 1622, and also
Howlev, p. 221.
42. Bonnycastle, R. H., Newfoundland in 1842
(London, 1842). Whatever may be the
tree referred to by this unique name, it
could hardly be the pine of the region,
Bank's or jack pine. All northern In-
dians know that inner birch rind and even
poplar can be made to yield a little nour-
ishment in times of famine, but seldom
pine bark.
43. Howley (op. cit., pp. 265-288) records a
number of anecdotes, some of which might
be considered as variants of those given
here.
44. In 1801 Lieutenant Buchan, of the Royal
Navy, was sent to the River Exploits to
^\'inter there and to open communication
with the Indians. He succeeded in find-
ing a part}- of them. Inducing two of
their number to go with him as hostages,
and leaving two marines with the Indians
at the main camp as a pledge of good faith,
he returned to his depot for presents.
During his absence the fears of the Red In-
dians were aroused, lest from his delay
in returning he might bring up reinforce-
ments with a view of capturing them. In
the meantime one of the two Red Indians
took fright and fled back to the main
camp. They murdered the hostages and
fled to the interior. This was at Red
Indian lake, near the mouth of ^lary
March brook. In 1819 a female was
taken by a party of trappers on Red In-
77
AND MONOGRAPHS
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
dian lake. Her husband was with her,
and having offered resistance was shot.
The leader of the men of the party was
named Peyton. The woman was brought
to St John's and was named Mary
March, from the month in which she was
taken. She was treated with kindness
and sent back to her friends with numer-
ous presents, but died on the voyage,
having been suffering for some time with
consumption. Her body was placed in a
coffin and left on the margin of the lake,
so that it might be found by her rela-
tives. The latter conveyed it to their
burying place on Red Indian lake, where
it was found several years later by Cor-
mack, lying beside the body of her mur-
dered husband.
45. John Paul had been a headman among the
Micmac-Montagnais of the island and
was particularly well-informed in matters
of native life. His age, experience, and
wLlingness to help in this work made him
invaluable, and I take this occasion to
recommend him to others who maj' under-
take similar studies in this region where
the younger generation of natives is not
well informed nor conservative.
46. This is Red Indian point, on Red Indian
lake; see pi. i-v. A larger excavation
than the others at this site is pointed out
as the chief's wigwam.
47. The lumbermen who have recently invaded
this region have fortunately spared a large
spruce tree which is popularly believed
INDIAN NOTES
NOTES
to be the tree under which Mary March
was captured. It stands on a sandy point
called ^lary March's point, and archeo-
logical evidences here indicate a former
camp. This tree, which is now (1914)
in danger of falling, is shown in pi. v.
48. Previously to this JMr Howley had indi-
cated in a letter that he thought the in-
formant was making her claim for the
purpose of gain.
49. Later, in the following spring, ]Mr R. S.
Dahl, a former associate of Mr Howley,
who was also deeply interested in the
Beothuk, came to Philadelphia to see me
concerning Santu. When, however, he
went to Attleboro to trace them, the
family had left. Since then Joe Toney
has returned irregularly to Gloucester,
]\Iass., where I have seen him. His
mother in 1916 had returned to Yar-
mouth, Nova Scotia, where her husband
died recently. (Since this was written I
have heard that she died in 1919.)
50. Incidentallv, Cope is a common family sur-
name among the Nova Scotia Micmac,
see page 103. I do not regard this infor-
mation as strictly reliable.
51. We recognize in this the common craft of
the Newfoundland Micmac.
52. She evidently referred to the curved keel-
son of spruce forming the ends.
53. Compare Howley (op. cit., p. 322) for ref-
erence to stone pipes.
54. The common Micmac and Wabanaki game
of wal testa' y an.
79
AND MONOGRAPHS
80
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
55. This corresponds with the Micmac game of
wabsna'yan, played with eight ivo y discs,
or dice, an inch in diameter. The play-
ers, who may be of any number, take
turns throwing the discs upon a blanket.
There are only three throws that count.
A throw showing two discs with the same
side up counts one {ma'xtewi' txamo'wi);
one only facing up and seven opposite,
count five {n'a'biteici' txamo'wi). Should
a player throw all, flat side down the same
way, it is called mi'ktcik tciwa'wal,
"turtle eggs," and wins the game. The
above is the manner in which it is
played in Cape Breton.
56. Cormack records that the Beothuk never
washed "except when a husband or a wife
died" (Howley, p. 230).
INDIAN NOTES
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
PART II
MICMAC HUNTING TERRITORIES
IN NOVA SCOTIA AND
NEWFOUNDLAND
BY
FRANK G. SPECK
II. MICMAC HUNTING TERRI-
TORIES IN NOVA SCOTIA
AND NEWFOUNDLAND
By Fraxk G. Speck
introduction
THE subject of the family hunting
territory which provides the key-
note to the social organization
of the northern and eastern Al-
gonkian tribes has become by this time
fairly familiar to ethnologists, first through
the reports of surveys which I have so
far completed for the Division of An-
thropology of the Geological Survey of
Canada (by whose sanction this paper
is published), and later through the hand-
ling of the situation as a sociological phe-
nomenon by Dr. R. H. Lowie in his re-
cent treatise.' Xo one would now deny that
here is to be found one of the most fundamen-
83
AND MONOGRAPHS
84
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
tal properties of old Algonkian culture; that
here is an exceedingly primitive group show-
ing the developed idea of established geo-
graphical claims. And of still more impor-
tance, it has become apparent that in this
relatively primitive level, patrilineality oc-
curs as a social feature chronologically an-
terior to the matrilineal grouping, and even
culturally below it. The general applicabil-
ity of theories of social evolution, like those
of Bachofen, Morgan, and Hartland, which
insist on the priority of the matrilineal
grouping, are destined to assume a more and
more dubious aspect as intensive exploration
proceeds into the social life of hitherto
little-known and loosely organized tribes.
It remains, therefore, as a most urgent
task to prosecute the survey of the prim-
itive nomadic tribes of the Hudsonian and
Arctic zones for the full census of those
whose social organization is based on the
paternal family and who observe the
family hunting territorial divisions. When
this has been done, speculations may be
expected to take a more final form. There
are still large areas to traverse and to map
INDIAN NOTES
INTRODUCTION
85
out, and there are varied types of social
structure to be analyzed, in which minor
developments have appeared and become
associated with the territorial units. In the
accompanying report, the hunting group is
traced in the maritime provinces eastward
to the Atlantic, thus covering one more
large area in the gradual spread of our
knowledge. Surveys are already partially
completed for the region lying from Lake
Waswanipi in northern Quebec southward
to the St Lawrence and eastward to Port-
neuf river.
In some parts of this zone there are spe-
cific variations. Among the Ojibwa, for
instance, a strong feature is the interasso-
ciation of the biological family group with
the patrilineal exogamic gens. Among the
Montagnais the absence of the gens is
noteworthy, but the development of the
geographical feature stands forth in the dis-
trict names. At Penobscot there is the as-
sociation of family ancestry with animals,
approaching the idea of the so-called "use
totem," discussed by Rivers and Golden-
weiser. Our present case shows the IVlic-
AND MONOGRAPHS
86
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
mac to present little to mark their form of
the institution with distinctive emphasis.
Here the family territories seem to be less
permanent, less hereditary, than elsewhere,
and the judicial power of the chief in the
reassignment of territory seems to be rather
more definite. In other respects a compari-
son of the INIicmac hunting territory insti-
tution with that of neighboring tribes seems
to show an absence of specialization in the
case of the former.
HUNTING TERRITORIES IN NOVA SCOTIA
The Micmac, like the rest of the northern
and eastern Algonkian, whose subsistence
was gained by hunting and fishing, had
their country subdivided into more or less
well recognized districts in which certain
individual proprietors or families enjoyed
the inherited privilege of hunting. Having
alread}^ made this matter the subject of in-
vestigations during several seasons among
the Montagnais, Mistassini, northern
Ojibwa, Algonquin, and the Penobscot and
Abnaki of the east, I spent part of the
summer of 1914 in visiting the settlements
INDIAN NOTES
NOVA SCOTIA
87
of the iMicmac of Xova Scotia, Cape Bre-
ton, and Newfoundland, to make collateral
studies among the most easterly branches of
the Algonkian stock. The social organi-
zation of this people is also characterized
by a grouping into hunting families, and
it also shows the second associated feature;
it is extremely loose in general. The results
of my survey are presented in this paper.
It should be remembered by anyone tak-
ing up this subject of family groupings and
territorial claims from the sociological
point of view, that, in contrast with the
north central Algonkians (Ojibwa, Algon-
quin), there is no intercrossing among the
]Micmac of a clan organization with the
family group. Neither exogamy nor other
elements of group totemism are now found
here as among the Ojibwa, Algonquin,
or even the Penobscot, who have indeed
some semblance of the animal totemic group
formation manifested in such phenomena as
family explanation myths, group naming,
emblems, and a certain social identity within
the group. It is true of the IMicmac
throughout, so far as I could learn, that the
AND MONOGRAPHS
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
family groups and their hunting territories,
whether held by the group in common or by
individuals, are found to rest on a purely
economic basis, with no sociological phe-
nomenon other than kinship involved.^
We are fortunate in having several notices
of the existence of the hunting territory in
Father Le Clercq's time (1691), which not
only authenticate the matter among the
IMicmac but which give a fair summary of
characteristics. It is necessary that Le
Clercq be quoted.
"It is the right of the head of the nation
according to the customs of the country, which
serve as laws and regulations to the Gaspesians,
to distribute the places of hunting (les endroils
de la chasse) to each individual. It is not per-
mitted to any Indian to overstep the bounds
and limits of the region {d' outre- passer les
homes et les limiles du quartier) which shall
have been assigned to him in the assembly of
the elders. These are held in autumn and in
spring expressly to make this assignment."^
Le Clercq also speaks of the territories in
another place, using the expression, "The
occupation of this chief was to assign the
places for hunting {de regler les lieux de
chasse)."^ It is important to note that
INDIAN NOTES
NOVA SCOTIA
89
among the Indians who use Canadian
French today, the designations "lieux de
chasse" and "endroits de la cliasse" are the
same.
Again the same author tells us:
"The most important places for fishing and
hunting are marked by the crosses which they
set up in the vicinity, and one is agreeably sur-
prised in voyaging through this country to find
from time to time upon the borders of the rivers
crosses with double and triple cross-pieces like
those of the patriarchs."^
Any question as to the antiquity or the
nativity of the institution we are interested
in among the Micmac is decisively met by
these statements. Nicholas Denys, who
wrote about IMicmac customs nineteen years
earlier than Le Clercq, does not, however,
refer specifically to it, although he speaks
briefly of the conservation of the game which
is often an accompanying feature.
"They killed the animals only in proportion
as they had need of them. When they were
lirtd of eating one sort, they killed some of
another."*
The Micmac family group seems to have
possessed a rather unstable character. It
AND MONOGRAPHS
90
B E 0 1 H U K AND M I C M A C
consisted of the father of the family, his
wife and children, and other members of his
own kin who, through individual circum-
stances, might be left to his support. Gen-
erally the family included the living grand-
parents, and frequently aunts, uncles, and
even relatives by marriage. Accordingly,
the content of the group changed as the
children became married and left, or in-
creased as bereaved relatives were added.
It was a common practice for a man to
join his father-in-law's family for a time
after marriage among the Micmac as well
as among the other northern tribes covered
so far by the investigation. The Micmac
newly-married man generally did this unless
local conditions made another course advis-
able. After a year or so with his father-in-
law, he was expected to set up a new
domestic establishment on hunting grounds
acquired through reapportionment or inher-
itance, or else to settle, should circum-
stances be favorable, on part of the patri-
monial territory under his own identity or
that of his father. The family unit was.
INDIAN NOTES
NOVA SCOTIA
91
in respect to its membership, judging from
all sources, an exceedingly variable quantity.
A side-light is thrown upon another social
aspect of the early IMicmac by Le Clercq
which shows that here, as elsewhere in the
wide area where the family band with its
hunting territory takes the place of the
clan or gentile unit, numerical strength
of the family counts for something in de-
termining social position. Le Clercq says,
in speaking of chiefs or leaders:
"We had among us at the River of St Joseph
[the Restigouche] one of these old chiefs whom
our Gaspesians considered as their head and
their ruler, much more because of his family
which was very numerous, than because of his
sovereign power." "
This material puts a very simplified aspect
on the family institution here, in contrast
with the greater compliexitj' prevailing among
the Algonkian farther west. It is difticult
to form an opinion yet as to whether the
simplicity is a sign of archaism or of degener-
ated culture in comparison with the other
Algonkian. Since I hope to pursue the in-
vestigation of this institution through the
whole habitat of the northern hunting tribes,
AND MONOGRAPHS
92
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
if the opportunity offers, we may leave the
discussion of the question until more is
known of the facts, and proceed directly to
the material as it presents itself among
the Micmac.
In Nova Scotia I procured data covering
nearly the whole peninsula. The portion
not covered is the extreme southwestern
part of the peninsula, the habitat of the
Yarmouth band, which I did not visit
The hunting territory is known here as
Uig^l'wo'mi, derived from a verb meaning
"to hunt." The districts generally sur-
round lakes or rivers. They were trans-
mitted from father to son, but where there
were no sons to inherit a region it was
allotted to someone else. Ordinarily the
assignment of hunting districts was left to
the authority, of the band chief. ^
The hunters of a certain region had a
common rendezvous, generally near the
coast where, on occasion, generally in the
summer, they assembled with their families
for social intercourse. At such times mar-
riages were arranged, and meetings held
which resulted in solidifying the group into
INDIAN NOTES
NOVA SCOTIA
93
something of a band. These bands and
their gathering places at the present time
have grown into the local groups which are
found all through the province on small
reservations. It may be added that Bear
River seems to have been a kind of capital
village for the bands in the southwestern
part of the province, and Shubenacadie
another for the central part. The bands,
comprising the localized famil_y groups (see
Map I), collectively form the Micmac tribe
or nation, the capital village of which is
now, as it has been for a very long time, at
Eskasoni on Cape Breton island.^
The family hunting districts of Nova
Scotia with their proprietors' names appear
in the accompanying table, the numbers in
the first column corresponding with those
on the map. I may say that I could
not very well verify a large percentage
of the districts, since this would have
required a personal visit to each family head
in the province. ' However, this was done
where it was possible. Hence, being lim-
ited largely to material collected from cer-
tain informants, chief among whom were
AND MONOGRAPHS
94
BEOTHUK AND MI CM AC
John Brooks and John ]\IcEwan of Bear
River, and Jacob Brooks of Truro, I have
probably committed some errors, even
though the individuals relied on were well-
informed leaders. Moreover, the settle-
ment of the province by the English has
encroached on many of the old hunting dis-
tricts, and some of the proprietors have been
dead so long that it is a matter of question
as to their boundaries even among the old-
est men living. Another fact to be observed
is that the boundaries of the family tract
in general among the Micmac were not
so strictly recognized as elsewhere; nor
were they marked by boundary signs, as
among the Penobscot. It seems to suffice
if the main body of water or the general
center of the hunting districts is known, the
Hne of separation between neighbors being
a general line somewhere about half-way
between the main central landmarks. Re-
taliation against trespassing was not regu-
larly enforced among the INIicmac.
The INIicmac country, according to An-
derson,^° was divided into seven districts,
"each having its own chief, but the chief
INDIAN NOTES
NOVA SCOTIA
95
of the Cape Breton district was looked upon
as head of the whole. From Cape Breton
three districts stretched to the right, Pic-
tou, Memramcook, Restigouche, and three
to the left, Eskegawaage, from Canso to
Halifax; Sigunikt, or Shubenacadie, named
from Cape Chignecto; and Kaspoogwit, or
AnnapoHs, named from Cape Negro."
This author gives Rand's interpretation
of these names in various parts of his report,
as follows: Pictou, "an explosion, crepitus
ventris" (p. 69); Memramcook, ''variegated
landscape" (p. 14); Restigouche, "a dead
tree" (p. 41). This name has been ex-
plained in a number of ways by different
authors. One very interesting tale of expla-
nation has been recently published by
Father Pacifique in the Micmac Messenger,
but, unfortunately for ethnology, it is given
only in ^Micmac. Eskegawaage is " the skin-
dressing place" (p. 27); Sigunikt, "a foot
cloth, moccasin rag" (p. 22) ; and Kaspoogwit,
"land's end," referring to Cape Sable and
Cape Negro (p. 35).
Indications appear from time to time in
the older writings concerning the tribes of
A N D MONO G R A P H S
96 BEOTHUKANDMICMAC
this part of the country to show that ani-
mals were frequently employed as symbolic
emblems representing different bodies of
population. It is difficult, when we en-
counter such references, to decide whether
they are to be understood, from a critical
point of view, as the emblems of former
gentile or of family groups, or whether they
pertain to bands and tribes in the social
or linguistic sense. Father LeClercq made
note of the observation that the Indians at
Miramichi had the figure of a cross as their
emblem, while at Restigouche the salmon
figured in the same way. He said that each
band had its local symbol.^^ Dr Ganong,
who edited LeClercq's work, adds that he
learned further that the main southwestern
division of the Micmac had a sturgeon, the
Uttle southwestern division had a beaver,
and the northwestern division of the tribe
had the figure of a man with a drawn bow
and arrow as distinguishing emblems. ^'^
For example again, we find in the picto-
graphy of the Wabanaki, according to Mal-
lery, who evidently secured the information
himself, that the Passamaquoddy are rep-
INDIAN NOTES
NOVA SCOTIA
97
resented by the figure of two men in a canoe
following a pollock, both men using pad-
dles;*^ the iMalecite by the two men in a
canoe both using poles and following a
muskrat;^^ the ]Micmac by the canoemen,
both with paddles, following a deer; and
the Penobscot by a figure showing the
canoemen using pole and paddle following
an otter. In giving this information Mal-
lery adds that he thinks the several animals
constitute ancient totemic emblems. ^^ In-
cidentally, this afi^ords us another instance
of the "game totem" idea which is quite
distinctive of the northeastern region, if not
particularly true of the ]\licmac. It is not by
any means clear, drawing our ideas from this
and other cases which have been recorded
among the eastern tribes, how we are to
proceed in classifying them ' as being the
totemic concepts of major or of minor social
groups. Whether we are to regard them
as family or as tribal emblems, the general
fact of the game-totem, or use-totem, concept
remains established as a feature having a
place in the social life of at least some of the
AND MONOGRAPHS
98
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
members of the group of tribes to which the
Micmac belong. ^^
The Micmac have been reported by trav-
elers a number of times as being very capa-
ble map-makers, utihzing birch-bark for the
purpose of charting not only travel routes
but hunting territories as well. Concrete
instance of this is afforded by information
furnished by Miss Massey of Philadelphia,
who states that in 1885 she knew of a case
at Digby, Nova Scotia, where a chief who
was then about sixty years of age exhibited
a birch-bark map of his hunting territory
during a trial in court to prove his inherited
claim to the same.^^ A map of birch-bark
of the land of the IMicmac is mentioned as
having been given to a hero in one of the
legends recorded by Rand.^^ Le Clercq was
the earliest author, so far as is known, to
have made explicit mention of these charts
among the Micmac. He says:
"They have much- ingenuity in drawing
upon bark a kind of map which marks exactly
all the rivers and streams of a country of which
they wish to make representation. They mark
all the places thereon exactly and so well that
INDIAN NOTES
NOVA SCOTIA
99
the}' make use of them successfully, and an
Indian who possesses one makes long voyages
without going astray.''^"
'^'a.
Fig. 3. — Hunting territory of Solomon Siah, Micmacof
Bear river, Xova Scotia. (After a drawing by his grand-
son.;
AND :\IONOGRAPHS
100
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
<:
(—1
H
O
<
>
o
H
1
1-1
<
O
z
H
z
<
a
<
>
<
West branch of Bear river to Lake
Jolly.
Mulgrave lake neighborhood (see
fig. 3).
Around Sporting lake, southwest of
Bear river.
Moosehcad and Pine lakes.
Pine lake and Cofang lake.
Long Tusket and Fourth lakes.
Barriyo and Spruce lakes.
Shelbourne lakes.
East side of Rossignol lake.
West side of Rossignol lake.
o
ti
e<
o
ej
Ph
F«
O
<
1
Jim Meuse {Sa''y€m,
"chief" of this band).
John Siah {Sa''ya).
Ben Pictou.
Abram Labrador.
Joe Pcnhall.
John Barriyo.
Christopher Charles.
John Louis.
Joe Maltai and father
Old Joe Maltai.
•rt P-l fO •^LCCt--XO\
INDIAN NOTES
NOVA SCOTIA
S "^
y CJ
.— • U)
"2 5
^
G,
c -x.
rt
-^3
.>'^
^
rt
^ o
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^
0^ CO
^
s °
•1^ =
a,
^ s
Id
^ b 0)
ui S i> <-i
Uh
,
..
^
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o
o .
(T)
^*^
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tn
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>>
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o
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3
^
n
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o
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u
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u,
O i-H
c
o
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o
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U-i
'^
^— >
>— >
c^.
^
101
AND MONOGRAPHS
102
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
"o
m
i->
aj
-7^*
rt
&
O •'^
'^ !r,
.S = .
t; CIS P x^
i
a
ise lakes,
usie lake and h
housie river.
■ La Have river,
reek and Sand ri
reau lakes.
south of Windso
ok and Caribou
near Chester.
i lake below Mt
iticook river valh
<
n
Parad
Dalho
Dal
Upper
Millc
Gaspe
Q
'A
<
pq
Lakes
Ponho
Lakes
Uniacl
Kcnnc
M
«
!3
O
oi
o
U2
o
fti
B
H
<
^
H
:s
•
[— t-
S
g
;^
Ph
o
<
tH
'■i
Oj
&I
1 . 1 .^•
— • c
(4
o D 2 - t;
■S.B-S « tn
o
ffio -^-^ o
g= £.^'>::
s>- ^s^
^ ':? ^ § .S
<
^^ ^K^
.^^'^"4;'^
^
Step;
Loui
Abe
Ellic
,t^ r^ O O O
•z
o
Ci p,
s <
J^ 00 Cn O —<
fsj rrj ^ I/-, O
Is
_ ^ T^ CN CN
CN CN tN CN CN
2:
INDIAN I
COTES
NOV
A SCOTIA
103
V.
a
z
5
5
1
Q
Z
<
3
Q
z
3
Stewiacke river valley.
Musquodoboit river between Mid-
<lle Musquodoboit and Musquo-
doboit.
North of Ship Harbor lake, Gould
lake
North of Jeddore.
Northeast of Jeddore.
Cirassy lake north of Killag river.
ve belonged to Pauls.)
Tangier lake and Scraggy lakes.
Hunting lake. Governor's lake, and
Ten Mile lake.
Fifteen Mile lake. Rocky lake.
Moser river.
Large district north of Sheet
harbor.
d
a
l1
c c
,'- O
c
o
Joe Cope.
Young Toe Cope (son of
No. 30).
Andrew Paul
(Territory supposed to ha
Sandy Cope. "
•Frank Cope.
Peter Joe Cope. .
Michael Tom (Toney).
Young Peter Joe Cope.
OS
/VXD
MONOGRAPHS
104
BEOTHUK
AND MI CM AC
1
-o
o 3
c
jj
J2 k-l
J5
HJ .
^^ f^
tH
■^u
^ o
;aacs ha
ar Port
S
3
u
S
3
C
•^ o
1
(UXJ'T^
!_r *^
'C
p
C
O
u
i
mb lak
lake an
oin, ba<
harbo:
rth.
igc rive
c
rt
o .
Q
Z
<
«
o
B
<
Big Lisco
Hunting
Lake Mo
n
z
M
O
Country
and no
Loon lak(
Mill Vilk
grave.
Q
z
<
CA3
1
"rt
o
o
as.
W
n
-C
n
g
"o
<
en
o
<
U3
G
Z
<
<
thew Salome.
Paul.
■am Paul (son
2).
veil Denis.
ve Malone.
er Anthony
reed).
z
w
=2 s.s<^
O
1— >
tfl
2
o
OS a.
o\ o--^
rN rrs-rv
"u^
<r> 'S'^
TT '^ <*
-*
INDIi
\N NOTES
NOVA SCOTIA
105
1 l: 4? >^ rt c
b g-.- ""
•sag's >^
^ S (fl'S 5
O •— 'J .^
*j t; ^ li*—
(U 'w >-.
o o «J
Sh
nally
wher
and
Cop
liood of
me origi
island>
rritory,
rom the
cotia.)
^ 5 ■" 5
Q
<
n
^
«
o
ca
Pi
<
H
H
H
a
■u
c/^
3
o
O
S
2
<
o
-»>
AND MONOGRAPHS
106
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
In the nature of a correspondence with
this it may be added that the same practice
of charting territories and trails on rolls of
birch-bark is a pronounced feature among
the Montagnais. A number of such maps
have been obtained by the writer for the
Victoria Museum and the American Mu-
seum of Natural History.
A more precise example of one of the
more definite hunting claims is furnished
by the sketch on page 99 (fig. 3), which
is a copy of a sketch-map made by John
McEwan, of the Bear River band, showing
the hunting territory of his maternal grand-
father Siah (Sa''ya) around Mulgrave lake.
There his lake and his river are shown, also
the several stations or camps in the districts,
marked with crosses, where he resided while
hunting in the neighborhood. This speci-
men district is number 2 on Map I.-°
HUNTING TERRITORIES IN CAPE
BRETON ISLAND
The Micmac on the island of Cape Breton
form now about the most conservative group
INDIAN NOTES
CAPE BRETON ISLAND
107
of this widely distributed tribe. Here,
furthermore, is the seat of native govern-
ment and the residence of the Grand Chief
{ktci'sa'yamaii) who has control of all the
Micmac bands from Newfoundland to Nova
Scotia and Quebec. The island of Cape
Breton is called Uiiama'gP^ and the peo-
ple style themselves Uname'wax. They in-
habit six fairly large settlements having a
population of 604 in 1911; one, the capital of
the Micmac, is at Eskasoni, where John
Denys, the Grand Chief, lives; others are
at Wycogamagh, Middle River, Malaga-
watch, and Chapel Island respectively,
while the last, dating back only 50 years or
so, is in the outskirts of Sydney. This
interesting band still preserves its national
existence and the records of its alliance with
the Mohawk. The former intertribal nego-
tiations with the Iroquois at Caughnawaga
and the ceremonial procedures with wam-
pum are still distinctly remembered.
According to the historical tradition of
this band, it seems that before the middle of
the eighteenth century the Micmac popu-
lation of Cape Breton was inconsiderable.
AND MONOGRAPHS
108
BEOTHUK AND MI CM AC
After the close of the war between France
and England for supremacy in Canada,
the many Micmac who had been engaged
on the side of the French, instead of return-
ing directly to their former homes in Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick, turned east-
ward and 'occupied new hunting territories
in the sparsely settled island of Cape Bre-
ton. Here, too, they felt themselves to be
farther away from possible vengeance of
the English, who were settled in Nova Sco-
tia. This movement was led by the chief,
Tomah Denys of Cumberland county,
Nova Scotia, who headed the Indians under
the French at the battle of Quebec in 1759
and returned with them to Louisburg.
Assuming this tradition to be fairly correct,
as alleged by Chief John Denys, great-
grandson of Tonah Denys, the hereditary
successor to his office, it would appear that
the hunting territories in the island must
have suffered some minor alterations with
the increase of the Micmac population sub-
sequent to 1759. Such changes are, how-
ever, taking place slowly all the time, as
territories change hands oftentimes with
INDIAN NOTES
CAPE BRETON ISLAND
109
the death of proprietors. A knowledge of
these districts through a continuous period
of time would be ver\- desirable to determine
the nature of such changes as regard size
and ownership. As may be seen by refer-
ence to the map, the territories are more
numerous and more compact in the southern
portion of the island, while in the northern
and eastern extremities the family tracts
are more extensive in area and fewer in
number. This condition corresponds in
general with the conditions in Newfound-
land; by analogy, I am inclined to attribute
it to comparative recency of occupancy.
This is actually the case in Newfoundland.
It must be recognized, nevertheless, that
the Cape Breton band has been domiciled
long enough in the island to have localized
some episodes in the career of the culture-
hero, Gluskap,-' which is apparently not the
case in Newfoundland.
After this historical digression let us
proceed with the actual data concerning
the hunting territories of the band. In
Cape Breton the family clainis are known
as ntuy^l'wx'mi. In practically all respects
AND MONOGRAPHS
110
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
tl
•: o
f0
^ -^ a
_ <U >-c
rt tn 5 .
,13 i^ O t«
Qj H *"*
4-1 O
H
3 2-
H aj •
>- IH <u
o
t3 C '^
CJ3
►le '
O
2 rt
&:3
IS
o .
^:&Hq
3
1
sGa
u'i'd
ittle
TO
.2 ^
•3^r
o
h4
INDIAN NOTES
CAPE
BRETON ISLAND
111
Sula''yadck\ "flat
at the end of a
gorge."
"little channel."
Kitnmdeive'gade,
"rocky head."
Ma'skwesa''yami-
kek, "many little
birches."
(?)
(?)
Weyo'yamaye,
"head of the
lake."
Mira river and bay
to Indian bay.
East bay to Sydney
river.
Sydney harbor to
Little Bras d'Or.
South shore of St
Andrew's channel.
lona island.
River Denny basin
westward.
Wycogamagh bay to
lake Ainslie.
Sam Denys, Joe
Moose, Plans-
way Moose.
Tomaii Denys
(family with hc-
rcduary chicl-
tainship).
John Isaac.
Captain Francis
Bernard.2^
Michel Joe (Mi'sel
da'di'at', "smart
Michel").
Dennis.
Peter Kugu.
LO lO
PO T lO O t^
lO lO lO LO to
AND
MONOGRAPHS
112
BEOTHUK AND M I C M A C
1
a
z
<
H
W
cq
<
u
fa
o
o
<
.S
§ 3
.^
C
en
H
M
«
o
W
H
o
z
>-l
H
Z
<
S
<
H
<
U
o
h-I
"place where red
clay paint is
found."
Ebadek', "(river)
dividing a hill in
two."
(?)
Ktu'dnnk, "at the
(north) moun-
tain."
"gorge through
the mountain."
U
H
P
O
g
H
K
,■ >
i
fa
Lake Ainslie north
on coast of White
capes.
Around Baddeck and
Middle river.
North river basin to
Indian brook.
Indian brook through
Aspy river and
bay.
St Ann's mountain
and Boularderie
island.
O
a
5
0.
o
«
o
Paul.
Francis Newell.
John Kugu.
Charles and Ben
Pollet.
Common territory
in band for fall
berry -gathering.
00 O O ■^ CN
INDIAN NOTES
CAPE BRETON ISLAND
113
their general characteristics are similar
throughout the ISlicmac countrj'. There was
no clan, no regulation of exogamy, and no
group totemism or social significance in
names, so far as is remembered. The
immediate members of the families consti-
tute the groups having inherited or pre-
empted districts for hunting, with the ex-
clusive right to the districts as long as any
of the sons of the proprietors are living to
work them. Territories may also be trans-
mitted by loan or through partnership. A
point of detail, however, in connection with
the territories of the Cape Breton band is
the local naming of the districts. This does
not appear prominently in the other prov-
inces. Another feature of distinction is,
perhaps, the occurrence of several fishing
and berry-gathering districts.
PI. xxxvii and xxxviii illustrate Micmac
hunting camps. Several wigwams are needed
to house the family groups; in this case
two brothers were working together on
their paternal territory. Owing to the scar-
city of birch-bark, the wig\vams have
occasionally tar-papcr coverings, although
AND MONOGRAPHS
114
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
the aboriginal form and architecture are
preserved PI. xxxix-xli illustrate de-
tails of wigwam construction.
As regards the Christian names of the pro-
prietors of the fishing and hunting dis-
tricts, it may seem strange to find them
so general; but this is due to early mission-
ary influence. Indeed, as long ago as 1761,
we find mention of Micmac chiefs in New
Brunswick and Prince Edward island with
French names. -^ In only a few cases do
native nicknames still persist.
In the table (pp. 110-112) are arranged
the proprietors' names and nicknames, where
they have them, their hunting districts, and
the native local names in the Cape Breton
dialect corresponding to the numbers on the
map. On the map these districts are shown
as they were marked out by the descendants
of the proprietors themselves. The ]\lic-
mac settlements are also indicated.
HUNTING TERRITORIES IN PRINCE
EDWARD ISLAND
Among the Micmac of Prince Edward
island, who are known as Ebegwi'dsnax,
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
PL XXXIX
BIRCH-BARK WIGWAM OF THE CAPE BRETON MICMAC
SPECK^BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
3IRCH-BARK WIGWAM OF THE CAPE BRETON MICMAC,
SHOWING FEATURE OF THE HOOP AND THE INSIDE
POLES FROM WHICH COOKING VESSELS ARE
SUSPENDED AND CLOTHES HUNG TO DRY
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
115
"People of the island in the sea," we en-
counter the same characteristics as those
found in the territorial institution of the
tribe on the mainland. The information
which I give was obtained by Gabe Paul,
a Malecite-Penobscot Indian of Oldtown,
Maine, during a special trip to this band.
In recent years, it appears, the hunt-
ing has been growing worse on the island,
the natives having had to resort more and
more to fishing. An interesting legend ac-
counts for the disappearance of the moose
from the region many years ago. Owing
to the small size of the island and the
increasing population, the moose at first
began to diminish. Then later the Indians
planned a great round-up, and in a short
time killed nearly all that were left, although
some of the older people advised against
the procedure. Consequently the remaining
moose, offended at the thoughtless improvi-
dence of the Indians, departed from the
island, never to return. Some of the hunt-
ers claimed to have seen their footprints on
the shore whence they made their escape by
swimming.
AND MONOGRAPHS
116
BEOTHUK AND MI CM AC
i-T ~
O aJ
ej
^ a
,^
o
bj o i
tc
C)
'>
H
■|
c
o
-3
S
>>
o
tn
3
O
c
c
•-' C
tn ;j tn
ri
c;
o
o e o
o
^
3-T3
I- ^ fc;
CJ
c
V
s ;^
S^S
>
_o
•:2
S'^
w w
y
Ch
_t/i ^
>.
<u
-D
o
,
<-> :^
,J_,
-C
a
§ s
C!
-a
HH
c
tn
o
OtJ
rt
ii
rt
cS
a,
>«^
Ci
T3
o
u
c
VI
C
'—
Ph
O
Id
s
<
a!
4)
-a
o
a
c
tr.
C
o
c
o
o
in'
2
■z
45
"o
^ .
rt
^
£
c
'u
-^
pq eu
O
rt
a!
03
■* in
VO
t^
tH 1-1
INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
117
From what can be learned about the
methods of later years, it appears that the
Prince Edward Island Indians had more
communal hunting and fishing territory
than is usual in the neighboring regions, and
that fishing was relatively the more impor-
tant activity.
Only a few family districts seem now
to be remembered. They are as shown on
page 116 (the numbers given correspond
with those on Map II, Newfoundland and
Prince Edward Island).
HUNTING TERRITORIES OF THE MICMAC-
MONTAGNAIS OF NEWFOUNDLAND
Since the dispersion or extermination,
whichever it might have been, of the Beo-
thuk or Red Indians in Newfoundland, the
Micmac have come to occupy the southern
and western portions of the island. Here,
in accordance with their custom on the
mainland, the different family heads appro-
priated, for themselves and descendants,
hunting districts which have continued,
subject of course to some changes and redis-
AND MONOGRAPHS
118
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
tributions, since the days of the first Mic-
mac colonization. Incidentally, Montag-
nais hunters from Labrador, following the
same easterly trend, have become thor-
oughly incorporated with the Micmac, so
that, while the language in Newfoundland
has remained Micmac, many ethnological
and some physical characteristics, no doubt,
such as they appear to observation, are
largely Montagnais. In addition we have
to recognize the possibility that some fea-
tures of culture may have been absorbed from
the Beothuk at various times, especially
during the period when they and the Mic-
mac occupied a village in common at St
George's bay.
In studying the history of these Micmac-
Montagnais, as we shall call them, in New-
foundland, we have some opportunity of
observing the growth and extension of their
family territories from their first foundation
on the southwestern coasts. Assuming in
general that this could hardly have pre-
ceded the arrival of the first white people
in the seventeenth century, we can see,
though only at a glance, through the period
INDIAN NOTES
SPECK — BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
INTERIOR OF WIGWAM OF CAPE BRETON MICMAC, SHOWING
SIZE AND PLACING OF POLES _
<h-
73
-1 w
U
Q<
zo
c?
30
■3
0^
o
u.^
5°=
^
^H
■--
ZU3
^
^ ul
1:;
>-"5
-^
<i
c
XI-
"*
3
0
^0
^co
-a
^^
NEWFOUNDLAND
of jSIicmac expansion and Beothuk decline,
covering about 200 years, up to the present
time.
The Newfoundland Indians, numbering
about 300 by estimate, are known both to
themselves and to the people of the main-
land (Cape Breton) as Taya'^nkuyewa x,'^^
"people of the land across the water," the
island itself being known as Ta'yamkuk' .
The Montagnais proper call the JMicmac
A isi'mc"uts, "evil people." According to the
tradition current among the Newfoundland
Indians, the Micmac of the mainland had
always some knowledge of the island through
their own excursions by canoe. The route
lay between Cape North (of Cape Breton)
and Cape Ray on the southwestern coast of
Newfoundland, a distance of sixty-five miles,
land being dimly visible in fine weather.
This bold journey was ordinarily accom-
plished in two days, they say. On the first
daj' or night, if the weather favored, the
voyagers made St Paul's island, Tiiywe'gan
m3ni'guk\ "temporary goal island, "^^ a
distance of fifteen miles. From here three
sturdy canoemen would paddle across the
119
AND jMONOGRAPHS
120
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
remaining fifty miles of Cabot strait to
Cape Ray in Newfoundland. Landing here,
they would await another calm night, then
build an immense beacon fire on the high-
lands to serve both as a signal for advance
and a guide for direction through the night.
x\t times even in summer the position of the
highlands is apt to be marked by the white of
snow-fields, resembling at a distance noth-
ing more than a streak of cloud. In clear
weather the elevated "barrens" of the New-
foundland coast show quite plainly from
Cape North. The strait is often calmer at
night. In this manner they made the
crossing, which is usually a dangerous one,
very rough and foggy. In affirming the tes-
timony regarding this difficult accomplish-
ment, Frank Paul, of the St George's Bay
band, stated that the Indians occasionally,
even in more recent times, went across,
using bark canoes, in this way to Cape
Breton to participate in the celebration
of St Ann's day, July 26th, • at Chapel is-
land, at which time takes place the Mic-
mac national festival. ^^ We may also
conclude that the Micmac migrations to
INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
121
Newfoundland were aided considerably by
French schooners plying across the gulf
and Cabot strait. Indeed, the great-grand-
father of JNIathew Mitchell, who was a cap-
tain, or sub-chief, is said to have received
a sloop as a present from the French king in
order to facilitate the movements of the Mic-
mac on the water in the interests of France.
Then, as the numbers of the JNIicmac in-
creased, their settlements were extended from
the west coast to the southern coast and later
into the interior. The first settlements
were about St George's bay, Norwa'mkisk,
"where the sand is blown up by the wind."
On the south coast the Micmac located at
Burgeo, Ma'yeme'gwik, "big fish river,"
and Asiktci'ganmk, "on the other side of the
land (toward the sea)," now called Connel
river. These and other villages on the
northern coast, settled after the withdrawal
of the Beothuk into the interior, will be
found marked on the accompanying map.
In the St George's Bay region, supposedly
near the present village of Stevensville, the
Micmac remembers that his ancestors lived
in at least one village in company with the
AND MONOGRAPHS
122
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
Beothuk, whom they term Meywe'djik, "red
people." According to tradition, this ami-
cable contact lasted until a quarrel occurred
between a Micmac and a Beothuk boy over
the kiUing of a tabooed animal, in which
the Beothuk boy was killed. A fight
promptly ensued between the two tribes on
this account, and the Micmac drove the
Beothuk into the interior. While we may
recognize in this typical folktale a mere sec-
ondary explanation of the existing historical
facts,^^ we can safely believe that it indi-
cates an early period of contact between the
Micmac and the Beothuk. This belief finds
some support in the results of a study of
Newfoundland Micmac material culture,
showing a number of features peculiar to
the island that are not attributable to the
Micmac or to the Montagnais of the main-
land, but which are thought, even by some of
the Indians themselves, to have been bor-
rowed from the Beothuk. We might infer
this, for instance, for the Newfoundland type
of canoe with the high-pointed middle, the
boot-moccasins, and the habit of dyeing
leather for articles of clothing a deep red,
INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
123
as well as a few other features which I have
treated more fully in the preceding paper.^"
Throughout Newfoundland the Indians
refer to their predecessors as Sa'yawe'djki'k,
"the ancients," speaking of them as though
they were the first inhabitants of the is-
land.^^ Some of the older Micmac-lMon-
tagnais even claim that the Sa'ydwe'djki'k
antedated the coming of the Beothuk. Ig-
noring such testimony, I think we may con-
clude that the term simply refers to the
earlier Micmac colonists from the main-
land, whose numbers were few and whose
isolation rendered them distinct in some
respects in culture and possibly in dialect.
These people are believed to have been true
Micmac and to have had a complete native
nomenclature for the prominent places in
the island. Some of the older Indians
recall hearing about the last of these
Sa'yawe'djki'k in the person of an old blind
woman who died in Sydney many years
ago. Although over one-hundred years of
age, she was conveyed in a canoe by her rela-
tives, at her own request, over a large part
of Newfoundland, giving the various lakes,
AND MONOGRAPHS
124
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
rivers, and mountains their proper names
according to the ancient terminology. In
an appended note I present a list of some
of these ancient names as remembered by
John Paul, himself an old man. They are
typical Micmac terms. The Sa'yawe'djki'k
families are said to have become completely
merged with the later comers from Cape
Breton and Labrador.
It would be interesting if we could form
a more definite idea as to when the INIicmac
first reached Newfoundland. In the local
historical records we encounter mention of
them taking part in the troubles between
the English and the French around the
southn and ercaster-n coasts.^" Other early
authors speak of them. Chappell,^^ an Eng-
lishman,'writing in 1818, says: ^
"During our war with America between
the years 1775 and 1782, the Micmac Indians,
inhabiting the island of Cape Breton and the
parts adjacent, were amongst the numbers of
our most inveterate enemies; but at length one
of our mihtary commanders having concluded
an amicable treaty with them, he selected one
of the most sagacious of their chiefs to negotiate
a peace. . . . The old Indian ambassador
succeeded . . . and received as his reward
INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
125
the grant of a sterile tract of land in St. Georges
bay, Newfoundland, together with permission to
transport as man}' of his countrymen as might
be willing. . . . Accordingh- the old Sachem
left his native land, accompanied by a strong
party . . . and boldly launching out to sea
in their own crazy shallops or canoes, they
eventually reached St. Georges bay in safety."
He also presents evidence that the Mic-
mic frequently crossed over to Labrador
from the south shore of the Gulf of St Law-
rence. In the same book (p. 86) Chappell
estimates the Indians at St George's bay
at ninety-seven. The quotation given above
bears only, of course, on the then more
recent Micmac arrivals, as he was not suf-
ficiently intimate with the Indians to have
learned very much. His information, he
even states, was gained while being paddled
across the river in a canoe.
At the head of the Newfoundland band is
a life chief, Reuben Morris, whose home is
at Conne river. Although the Grand Chief
at Eskasoni, Cape Breton, is higher in
authority than the Newfoundland chief, this
amounts to but little because the contact
AND AIO NO GRAPHS
126
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
«
between the two bands is necessarily loose,
owing to the difificulty of communication.
As regards Montagnais influences in New-
foundland, we learn that from early colonial
times the Labrador Indians often traversed
the ten miles of water in summer or the ice in
winter, which separated them from the island,
and estabhshed temporary headquarters
there. Early intermarriages between them
and the Micmac were so common that more
than half of the older Indians in Newfound-
land today have Montagnais among their
grandparents.^* There are now some fam-
ilies half Micmac and half Montagnais, be-
sides a few true Montagnais, and to my
knowledge, one Naskapi. I have made note
of this in the tabular arrangement of the
families and their hunting districts. Re-
liable oral testimony from John Paul shows
that twenty-five years ago (1889) a band
of Montagnais, consisting of forty families,
from the south coast of Labrador, crossing
the straits of Belle Isle, settled on the north-
west coast of the island above Bonne bay.
They stayed there hunting beaver all win-
ter. Incidentally, it is averred, they drew
INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
" 127
all the beaver from that part of the country
by leaving at their abandoned camp a split
beaver leg bone fastened into a stick point-
ing northward. The effect of this magical
operation was not counteracted until old
Tom Joe, a Naskapi who understood Lab-
rador conjurers' methods, threw the bone
into the fire. When it burst, the direction
in which the splinters flew denoted where
the beaver were to be found. ^^ Montagnais
influences in Newfoundland ethnology ap-
pear largely in magical practices, while in
material culture they are manifested in de-
tails of clothing, camp paraphernalia, and
certain types of bone implements. It
should be added, however, that some of the
latter might just as well be attributed to
the Eskimo, since they are common to
boith Eskimo and Montagnais.
Turning now to the proper subject of
this paper, we observe at once from the map
that the family hunting territories of the
Newfoundland band are grouped in the
southwestern portion of the island, leaving
the northern and eastern tracts practically
unappropriated. The claims situated along
AND MONOGRAPHS
128
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
the western and southern coasts are the
oldest, as evidenced by the names of their
proprietors, who, we are told, were the pion-
eers of the Micmac migration. Farther in-
land the districts have been more recently
appropriated by younger hunters, who have
pushed into the interior. Indeed some of
these have been so lately occupied that they
are not well known among the older hunters
There is, moreover, some confusion in the
boundaries of these, due to still more recent
changes among some of the younger men
of the Paul, John, and Beaton families, who
have taken up claims along the line of the
railway opened some twenty-odd years ago.
Under these circumstances, the fact should
be emphasized that the territorial surveys,
as I present them on the map, represent a
combination of old conditions with those
prevailing at the time of my visit. Since
matters of this kind are by no means strictly
static, we must allow for changes. These
remarks apply likewise to other studies and
papers dealing with this widespread topic.
The local unclearness of boundaries here,
it seems to me, illustrates the conditions
INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
129
which obtain on an ethnic frontier. The
matter as a whole has, moreover, a certain
significance in showing to what extent the
frontier of an Indian habitat has expanded
in, let us say, not much more than two
hundred years of occupancy. In the last
two generations of hunters, the tendency
toward expansion among the Micmac-Mon-
tagnais has apparent!}' been quickened by
the absence of hostile neighbors, as the
Beothuk might have been to them had they
surv'ived, and, at the same time, by very
favorable game conditions. Nowhere in the
east are the caribou more abundant. Several
hundred thousand of the animals migrate
semi-annually from the northern to the
southern barrens and afford an abundant
meat supply to the natives. Caspar Whit-
ney has published a very interesting bio-
graphical study of the herd, the knowledge
of which greatly helps us to understand local
economic conditions. It will be seen, ac-
cordingly, by referring to the map, that the
more recent claims in the interior are larger
in the vicinity of Grand, Red Indian, and
Gander lakes and Exploits river in the ter-
AND :\I0 NO GRAPHS
130
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
ritorics last vacated by the unfortunate
Beothuk.
Regarding the hunting territories in
Newfoundland, the usual Micmac character-
istics stand forth, there being nothing par-
ticularly distinctive to note. The districts
are termed ntna'ylwo'mi, "my hunting
ground," the same as in the Cape Breton
dialect. The families are fairly large.
They form local groups, having more or less
permanent headquarters in . the different
coast villages and in the hunting camps dis-
tributed through their territories. Some of
the families now make their headquarters
along the line of the railroad, where they
can obtain other work when they so desire.
The oldest hunter of each family is com-
monly regarded as the "boss." He directs
the labor of the younger men, planning,
from his knowledge of the conditions of the
game, when and where they shall hunt. At
his death his authority falls to the next
most responsible elder of the family, whether
he be his son, brother, or nephew. It
sometimes happens that parts of claims are
ceded as gifts to friends from outside, as
INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
an inducement to become members of the
family either by marriage or by simple
cooperation in the hunt. For example, Joe
JuHan, chief at Sydney, Cape Breton, was
contemplating accepting the offer made to
him by his friend Louis John in Newfound-
land to share part of his claim at Long
Harbor river (No. 4 on the map), where the
territory was too large to be properly worked
by the present John family. As might be
expected under the pioneer conditions ex-
isting among the Newfoundland Indians, a
rather weak sense of resentment prevails
against trespass, which indeed can hardly
be avoided occasionally, because the chase
is concerned mainly with the caribou. On
account of the absence of many important
mammals from the fauna of Newfoundland,
such as mink, sable, fisher, badger, wolver-
ene, skunk, porcupine, raccoon, and wood-
chuck, hunting is practically restricted to
caribou, bears, foxes, and beavers. Sealing
and fishing are important to the Indians
only while they are on the coast.
A few remarks pertaining to certain of
the families and their territories are neccs-
131
m.
AND MONOGRAPHS
132
BEOTHUK AND
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INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
133
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AND MONOGRAPHS
134
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
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INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
135
sary. Regarding the claim held in the
family of JVIathew JNlitchell (No. 13), the
small size of this tract in comparison with
the others is to be explained by the fact
that the old Mitchell family holds an he-
reditary chieftaincy. On this account the
^Mitchells have the privilege of hunting al-
most anywhere without hindrance and even
trapping inside of other claims if the propri-
etors themselves are not working at the
time in the neighborhood. Consequently
about the only place hunted continuously by
them is around King George IV lake, as
marked. Within the last twenty years
^lathew Mitchell has hunted in the Bonne
bay district, which had hitherto been unoc-
cupied by the Micmac. Again, regarding
territory No. 6 and 6a, held by John Paul
in lieu of the original proprietor Andrew
Joe's heirs, we strike a case of irregular ten-
ure. This was the original claim of Tom
Joe, at whose death it fell to his son Andrew
Joe, who died leaving two sons who were
too young to take care of themselves. Be-
fore his death Andrew turned the children
over to his jjrother-in-law, John Paul, and
AND MONOGRAPHS
136
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
left him a right to the territory under certain
conditions. He told John Paul that he
could take half of the claim for his own if he
wished, including all the traps and camp
property then on the grounds. He did not,
however, leave John Paul the right to dis-
pose of it, lest it pass out of the boys' hands
entirely. Acquiescing in this far-sighted
scheme, Paul left his own hereditary family
district, took the southern half of Joe's
claim, and now occupies it on shares with
the two boys, who since reaching maturity
have become his stepsons.
In conclusion, our information, when re-
solved to the proper perspective, leads to
the opinion that, in continuous regions in-
habited by branches of one tribe, the coun-
try where the family hunting territories are
the largest is a country more recently occu-
pied. The proportionate magnitude of the
Newfoundland family claims is shown in
the average of two thousand square miles
to each, while in Cape Breton this average
gives but four hundred square miles, and
in Nova Scotia only about two hundred
square miles to each family. Hence Nova
INDIAN NOTES
NEWFOUNDLAND
137
Scotia was doubtless the center of distribu-
tion of the southern and eastern Micmac,
whose trend of migration has been con-
tinuously eastward. This is also conclusive
from historical sources and also from eth-
nological considerations — rather satisfactory
coincidences. I hope soon to try to deter-
mine the relative standing of the New
Brunswick bands. After that the next
problem to be considered is the relationship
of the Micmac as a whole to the similarly
distributed ]\Iontagnais north of the St
Lawrence.
We also have information on the number
and location of the Newfoundland INIicmac
from another recent source. jMr R. S.
Dahl, in a letter to the writer dated June 6,
1912, from Placentia bay, Newfoundland,
gives the following list of Micmac settle-
ments and Micmac hunters which he ob-
tained from ]\Ir Howley. The settlements
are: Conne River, Bay d'Espoir, about 125
souls; Bay St George; Codroy, one family;
Bonne Bay; Hall's Bay; Gambo; Glen wood;
and Port Blandford. In addition Mr Dahl
gives a more complete list of the men in-
AXD MONOGRAPHS
138
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
habiting the Bay d'Espoir settlement. I
may say that among these names are evi-
dently those of some transients, recent ar-
rivals, or of mixed-bloods, except for which
the majority correspond closely with the
enumeration of the older families as previ-
ously given. The names are: Frank Joe,
Little Frank Benoit, Paul Benoit, Frank
Benoit, John Benoit, Johnny Benoit, Ben
Benoit, Ned Pullet, Noel Louis, Frank
McDonald, Noel Mathews, Martin and
Michael Mathews, Noel Jeddore, Joe and
Nicholas Jeddore, John Bernard, Stephen
Bernard, John Stride, Reuben Lewis (chief),
Peter and Micky John, John John 2d, Lewis
John, John and Paddy Hinx,Mathew Burke,
Len Joe, Ben Paul, Abraham Paul, Noel
Paul, Matty Michel and son.
ANCIENT PLACE-NAMES IN
NEWFOUNDLAND
On the Southwestern Coast:
Noywa'mkisk, "place where the sand is blown
up," inner St George's bay.
Kives2W3'mkia, "sandy point," St George's
bay.
INDIAN NOTES
N E W F 0 U N D L A N D
139
Xudjo''yan "eel spearing place (?)," inside
Sandy point.
Meski''gtiru.i'd3n, "big channel," Stevens-
ville, St George's bay.
Ma'xtJguek, "mouth of the river," Little
river, on south coast.
MJski'gui''ga7jlc, "grass wigwam," coast be-
tween Burgeo and La Poile.
Ma'y<h)!e'g'd^k, "big fish river" (also given as
"big swelling") (?).
In the Interior:
A)!i''apsku'a'tc, "rocky mountains," south of
Red Indian lake.
Mcy'u'e''djcu.'a'gi, "red Indian country," Red
Indian lake.
Mi 'Ipe'g, "mam^ bays," Meelpaeg lake.
Meyue'za'xsi't, "red-faced person," Hodge's
mountain, northeast of Badger's brook. A
local legend says that here was the last
place where a Beothuk was seen.
Kespitde'kJui X9''spem, "last lake." at head
of Harry's river.
Eb ogu'ii'nbe'g, "low bay lake," just east of
Meelpaeg.
dniidjihu''djitc, "Indian brook," east of
Crooked lake.
Medani''ga7iik, "village half way," lake above
Belle bay (Meddonnegonni.x).
Xaxsxae''gadi, "place of boards" (?), east of
the last.
K'u.e''gudek', "on the top," above Meddonne-
gonnix.
W<7i'iji''g'u.'amdji'tc, "little house," Wejegun-
jeesh lake.
.\ND MONOGRAPHS
140
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
Maligwe'djik, "low growth place," Molly-
gwajek lake on Terra Nova river.
Kepa'mkek, "sand-bar across channel," head
of Terra Nova river.
As might well be expected, some of these
names are of frequent occurrence in Micmac
toponomy. For instance, the third in the
above list, nudjo'ydn, is given for two other
places in Rand's list of Micmac place-
names,^'' St Mary's bay in the St Lawrence,
and Chegogun harbor, near St Mary's bay.
No meaning, however, is assigned to it by
Rand. The seventh term, ma'ydme'gwik, is
also the name of St Croix river, New Bruns-
wick (ibid., p. 43), and is given the same
meaning as in Newfoundland. The sixth
name in the list of interior place-names,
eh'dgwu'nbe'g, is recorded for Abegunbek
somewhere in Micmac territory (ibid., p. 12),
which Rand renders "a bending bay," and
the last two in the list above show recurrence
in Malegawaachk {maligewe ' kk) , a lake in
Ship harbor. Nova Scotia, and Kebamkeak,
the name of Bathurst harbor and Bathurst,
New Brunswick (ibid., p. 32), with the
same meaning as in Newfoundland.
INDIAN NOTES
C 0 R IM A C K
141
Appendix
I — cormack's observations
Mr Howley, in his recent monograph on
the Beothuk of Newfoundland,^^ does eth-
nolog>' a distinct service by giving in full
the journal of William E. Cormack, a phi-
lanthropic gentleman who, in 1822, under-
took a trip in company with a Micmac In-
dian across the island in an endeavor to find
some traces of the Beothuk. Cormack's
work is entitled, "Narrative of a Journey
Across the Island of Newfoundland in 1822."
The author had something to say of the
Micmac-IMontagnais, whom he encountered
in the interior, and his observations are
decidedly worth quoting here to show how
little the conditions of life among the Mic-
mac and Montagnais have changed since
then.
About half-way across the island Cormack
and his guide, a Micmac named Joseph Syl-
vester, came upon the camp of a Mountain-
eer (Montagnais) from Labrador —
"who could speak a little of the Micmac
language, his wife being a Micmac. . . .
AND MONOGRAPHS
142
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
He told us that he had come to Newfoundland,
hearing that it was a better hunting country
than his own, and that he was now on his way
hunting from St. Georges Bay to the Bay of
Despair to spend the winter with the Indians
there. He had left St. Georges Bay two months
and expected to be at the Bay of Despair in
two weeks hence. This was his second year in
Newfoundland." 3'
He had his hunting ground at Meelpegh
lake, a body of water about nine or ten
miles long.
"The Red Indians' country, or the waters
which they frequented, we were told by the
mountaineer, lay six or seven miles to the north
of us, but at this season of the year these people
were likely to be farther to the northward at
the Great Lake of the Red Indians (Red Indian
Lake); also that about two weeks before there
was a party of Micmack hunting at the next
large lake to the westward, about two days
walk from us. He also described the nature of
the country and made drawings upon sheets of
birch rind of the lakes, rivers, mountains and
woods that lay in the best route to St. Georges
harbor."^"
This Mountaineer was named James
John."*' A few days later Cormack met
another band of hunters.
INDIAN NOTES
C 0 R M A C K
143
"They were Micmacks and natives of New-
foundland and expressed themselves glad to see
me in the middle of their country as the first
white man who had ever been here. They told
us that we might reach St. Georges Ray in about
ten days for they had left that place in the
middle of summer and had since been hunting in
the western interior . . . and that they
intended in a few weeks to repair to White Bear
Bay to spend the lAanter. . . . Here were
three families amounting to thirteen persons in
number. ... In the woods around the
margin of this lake the Indians had lines of path
equal to eight or ten miles in extent, set with
wooden traps or dead-falls. . . . The Red
Indian country we were told was about ten or
fifteen miles northward of us. . . . All the
Indians in the island, exclusive of the Red
Indians, amount to nearh* 150, dispersed in
bands commonly at the following places or dis-
tricts: St. Georges Harbour and Great Cod Roy
river on the west coast; White Bear Bay, and the
Bay of Despair on the south coast; Clode Sound
in Bona vista Bay on the east; Ganda Bay on the
north coast, and occasionally at Bonne Bay and
the Bay of Islands on the northwest coast.
They are composed of ]Mickmacks, joined by
some of the mountaineer tribes from the Labra-
dor and a few of the Abenakies from Canada.
There are twenty-seven or twenty-eight families
altogether, averaging five to each family and
five or six single men. They all follow the same
mode of life — hunting in the interior from the
middle of summer to the beginning of winter in
single families, or in two or three families to-
AND MONOGRAPHS
144
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
gether. They go from lake to lake hunting all
over the country around one, before they pro-
ceed to the next. ... A great division of
the interior of Newfoundland is exclusively pos-
sessed and hunted over by Red Indians and is
considered as their territory by the others. In
former times, when the several tribes were
upon an equality in respect of weapons, the Red
Indians were considered invincible and fre-
quently waged war upon the rest, until the lat-
ter got fire-arms put into their hands by the
Europeans. . . . The tribes exclusive of
the Red Indians have no chief in Newfoundland,
but there are several individuals at St. Georges
Bay to whom they all pay a deference. The
Mickmacks although most of them born in this
island consider Cape Breton, where the chiefs
reside, as their headquarters. Their several
tribes intermarry. . . .^ One of the Mick-
macks of this party named Paul, boasted of
maternal descent from a French governor of
i Prince Edward Islands."
Further, Cormack says that ten days
later he had the satisfaction of again en-
countering a camp of Micmac at what he
inferred was the head of Little river, dis-
charging from a lake which he names Wil-
son's lake.
"They were a party of Mickmack Indians.
. . . Only one man belonged to this en-
campment. . . . This small party consisted
of eight individuals, one man, four women and
INDIAN NOTES
GLUSKAP 145
three children, one an infant. . . . This
Indian's name he told me was Gabriel.""
A few days later Cormack reached St
George's harbor, where he found shelter in
the house of an Indian named Emanuel
Gontgont.-*^ These notes and the mention
of family names with his estimates of popu-
lation speak for themselves in comparison
with what has been already presented.
II — ABSTRACT OF THE GLUSKAP
TRANSFORMER MYTH
The importance of geographical sites in a
territorial study of this nature warrants the
presentation of the following myth and
landmarks, the locations of which are indi-
cated by letters on the map of Cape Breton
island. Each band of the Micmac seems
inclined to localize the Gluskap myth, a
comparative study of the versions of which
will later prove interesting. (For this and
other myths of the Cape Breton band the
reader is referred to Journal of American
Folk-lore, vol. xxviii, no. cvii, Jan.-March,
1915, pp. 59-69.)
AND MONOGRAPHS
146
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
Gluskap's Journey
(The Cape Breton Local Version. Related by
Chief John Joe of Wycogamagh)
Gluskap was the god of the Micmac.
The great deity, Ktcim'sxam, made him out
of earth and then breathed on him. This
was at Cape North {Kt^'dnuk, "at the
(north) mountain") (A), Cape Breton, on
the eastern side. Gluskap's home was at
Fairy Holes {Gluska'bewi'guo'm, "Gluskap's
wigwam") (B).*'^ Just in front of the caves
at this headland are three little islands in a
straight line, known as Ciboux islands (C) :
these are the remains of Gluskap's canoe,
where he left it when it was broken. At
Plaster cove {Two'bufc, "Looking out")
(D), two girls saw his canoe broken into
three pieces, and they laughed, making fun
of Gluskap. At this he told them that they
would remain forever where they are; and
today there are two rocks at Plaster cove
which are the remains of these girls. Next,
a little farther north, at Wreck cove (E),
Gluskap jumped from his canoe when it
foundered, lifting his moose-skin canoe-mat
out, and left it on the shore to dry. There
INDIAN NOTES
G L U S K A P
is still to be seen a space of about fifteen
acres of bare ground where the mat lay.
Then he went to Table Ile3.d{Padalo"di'tck)
(F), on the south side of Great Bras d'Or.
Here he had his dinner. Next he struck
into Bras d'Or lake straight to Wj'cogamagh
(G), on the western end, where at Indian
island (Wt'sik, "Cabin"), he started a
beaver and drove him out, following Bras
d'Or lake to St Patrick's bay (H). At Mid-
dle river he killed a young beaver, whose
bones are still to be seen there. Then Glus-
kap followed the beaver until he lost track
of him for a while. He stood at Wi''sik
(Indian island), and took a piece of rock
and threw toward the place where he thought
the beaver was. This rock is now Red
island {Pauydnukte' gan) (I). This started
the beaver up, and he ran back through St
Peter's channel and burrowed through un-
derneath, which is the cause of the crooks
and windings there now. Then the chase
continued outside in the ocean, when the
beaver struck out for the Bay of Fundy.
Here at Pli'gank ("Split place"), Split
point, Gluskap dug out a channel with his
147
AND MONOGRAPHS
148
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
paddle, forming Minas basin, Nova Scotia.^^
There he killed the beaver. Near here is a
small island, which is the pot in which he
cooked the beaver; another rock, near Pot
Rock, is Gluskap's dog left behind at this
time. Turtle {Mi'ktcik) was Gluskap's
uncle. Here with his pot and dog he turned
Turtle into a rock, and left them all there.
Near where he killed the beaver are still to
be seen the bones turned to rock. When he
broke the channel in Minas basin to drain
the water out, in order to uncover the
beaver, he left it so that today the water
all drains out at each tide, hence the Bay of
Fundy tides. Then he crossed over east-
ward and came out at Pictou. While
there he taught the Micmac how to make
all their implements for hunting and fishing
— bows, arrows, canoes, and the like. After
a while he prepared to leave, and told the
Indians: "I am going to leave you. I am
going to a place where I can never be
reached by a white man." Then he prophe-
sied the coming of the Europeans and the
baptism of the Micmac. Then he called his
grandmother from Pictou, and a young man
INDIAN NOTES
NOTES
for his nephew, and departed, going to the
other side of the North Pole with them.
Again he said, " From now on, if there should
ever be a war between you and any other
people, I shall be back to help you." He is
there now, busy making bows, arrows, and
weapons in preparation for some day when
the white man may assail the Micmac.
NOTES
1. R. H. Lowie, Primitive Society, Xew York,
1920.
2. There is nothing, so far as I am prepared
as yet to say; in the somewhat classifica-
tory kinship system of the tribe, to indi-
cate necessarily exogamy or anything
more complex than the loose family kin-
ship formation which prevails today.
Father Chrestien Le Clercq, New Relation of
Gaspasia .... Paris, 1691, reprinted in
I'ublications of the Champlain Society, by
W. F. Ganong Toronto, . . . 1910, p. 237
(original edition, p. 385).
Ibid., p. 235 (original edition, p. 380).
Ibid., p. 151.
Nicholas Denys, The Description and Nat-
ural History of the Coasts of North
America . . . Paris, 1672, reprinted in
Publications of the Champlain Society, by
W. F. Ganong, Toronto, 1908, p. 426.
Le Clercq, op. cit., p. 235.
3.
149
AND MONOGRAPHS
150
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
8. This practice is confirmed by Le Clercq (op.
cit, p. 235): "The occupation of this
chief was to assign the places for hunting
{de regler les lieiix de chasse)."
9. S. T. Rand asserts that the chief of the Cape
Breton band was regarded as the head of
the whole Micmac nation. (Cf. Micmac
Place-names in the Maritime Provinces
and Gaspe Peninsula, Recorded between
1852 and 1890 by Rev. S. T. Rand, col-
lected and arranged by Lieut-Col. Wm.
P. Anderson, Geographic Board of Canada,
Ottawa, 1919, p. 45.) Rand gave the
meaning of "Green boughs" to the name
Eskasongnik (ibid., p. 27).
10. Anderson, idem., p. 45, note.
11. Le Clercq, op. cit., pp. 35, 38.
12. Ibid., p. 39, note.
13. By an acceptable interpretation the name
Passamaquoddy means "Those whose
occupation is pollock fishing."
14. The Malecite enjoy the sobriquet of "Musk-
rats" among the Wabanaki, especially
among those of St Francis, and the
Micmac.
15. G. Mallery, Picture-writing of the Ameri-
can Indians, Tenth Annual Report of the
Bureau of Ethnology, pp. 378-379.
16. Compare Speck, Game Totems Among the
Northeastern Algonkians, American An-
thropologist, U.S., vol. 19, no. 1, 1917.
17. J. V. Mays, Assistant Secretary of the Geo-
graphical Society of Philadelphia, corre-
spondence with the writer, Jan. 24, 1916.
INDIAN NOTES
NOTES
IS. S. T. Rand, Legends of the Micmacs, 1894,
Tale 21, p. 170.
19. LeClercq, op. cit., p. 136 (in original edi-
tion, p. 153).
20. Since nw talk with him, McEwan himself
has written a short but interesting ac-
count of his early boyhood in which he
speaks oi being his uncle's hunting part-
ner. Their camps were then on Smith's
and Uish lakes. (Cf. Nova Scotia
Guide's Prize Story, by John McEwan,
Forest and Stream, October 1917, p. 466.)
21. This is an interesting name. It is regarded
on good authority as a variation of
Mi'gama-'gi, "Land of the Micmac" (cf.
IMicmac Place-names, op. cit., p. 61).
22. In Appendix II of this paper is given an ab-
stract of the Cape Breton version of the
travels of Gluskap (cf. F. G. Speck, Some
M icmac Tales from Cape Breton Island,
Journal of American Folk-lore, vol. xxviii,
no. 107, 1915, pp. 59-69).
23. A captain is a sub-chief.
24. A Narrative of an Extraordinary Escape out
of the Hands of the Indians in the Gulf of
St. Lawrence, by Gamaliel Smethurst,
London, 1774, reprinted by W. F. Ga-
nong, Collections of the New Brunswick
Historical Society, vol. 2, 1905, p. 380.
25. Through the kindness of Mr J. Robert
Mutch, of Mount Herbert, P. Y.. I., this
section of my paper was conveyed to the
hands of Chief John Sark himself for re-
vision after its completion. ]VIr Mutch
reports Chief Sark as desiring to correct
151
AND MONOGRAPHS
152
BEOTHUK AND MIC MAC
the statement about his being hereditary
chief of the Prince Edward Island band.
"Chief Sark's father, the late Chief
Thomas Sark, died when Chief John Sark
was a small boy, so the Micmacs elected
Peter Bernard as acting chief until John
was old enough to hold that office.
Peter Bernard died before many years,
and the Micmacs elected Joe Francis as
acting chief. When John Sark became
of the necessary age to hold the office of
chief, Joe Francis would not resign. Mr
James Yeo, M. P. P., had Joe Francis
swo:n in as .'Chief of Prince Edward
Island Micmac Indians' before a Justice
of the Peace, and had tlie papers sent to
Ottawa. Another Indian belonging to
the tribal council objected to Mr Francis
being the chief for life and sent a protest
to the Department of Indian Affairs at
Ottawa, and they declared a general elec-
tion to take place in 1897. Mr Sark was
elected chief in that election, and the
Department declared that hereafter an
election must be held every three years.
So that, while John Sark has been elected
chief by acclamation at every election
with the exception of one since 1897, he
is not the hereditary chief, but holds the
office by election." (Correspondence of
Mr Mutch, May 10, 1920.)
26. In Micmac the character y denotes the velar
voiced spirant and % the corresponding
voiceless consonant. Ordinarily, too.
INDIAN NOTES
N O T E S
both g and k are pronounced somewhat
posteriorly.
27. Tuy-d-e'' gan is explained as a place in some
expanse which those who are crossing
make for without knowing whether they
\%'ill succeed; in short, an expected goal.
28. Another sea voyage of no little consequence
which the ]\Iicmac were formerly accus-
tomed to make was the trip from Cape
North, Cape Breton, to the Magdalen
islands, lying in the Gulf of St Lawrence
about sixty miles to the northwest. The
]\Iagdalens derive their name from a
Micmac woman who, according to a
legend, was abandoned there. By mean?
of fish and gulls' eggs she subsisted until
her folks returned. I have recorded also
a somewhat similar tale from the ]\Iale-
cite. While the theme of this story itself
is an old native one, its particular appli-
cation in this case is modern, a fact be-
trayed by the European name of the
heroine. In an interesting and thorough
discussion of the histor}' and formation
of the ^lagdalen group, J. M. Clarke
quotes a passage from Breard (Journal du
Corsaire Jean Doublet de Ilonjlcur, 1883),
explaining how the islands were named
after Madeleine, the wife of Francois
Doublet, of Honfleur, who visited the
. islands and attempted to colonize them
in 1663 (Bulletin .Yci^' York State Museum,
no. 149, Report of the Director, 1910;
Observations on the Magdalen Islands, by
J. M. Clarke, p. 139). An earlier notice
153
AXD MONOGRAPHS
154
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
indicates that Indians were found among
the inhabitants as far back as 1593 (ibid.,
p. 138). That the Indians also had con-
cern with the Magdalens in 1721 is shown
in a letter to Father Rasles written b\'
M. de Vaudreuil (Jesuit Relations,
Thwaites edition, vol. 67, p. 63-65). In
this connection it may be added that
several remarkable feats of navigation
are claimed to have been accomplished by
members of the Yarmouth band. Abram
Toney, the late chief, is alleged to have
been forced to pass a night on the whist-
ling buoy twenty-one miles from Yar-
mouth, riorthwest, when overtaken by a
sudden storm. Such things happen when
the Indians are outside hunting por-
poises. The same adventurer is said to
have made the trip by canoe to Grand
Manaan. Another Micmac with his
wife and child is said to have crossed
from Digby to St Johns, N. B.
29. A similar tale is recorded by Rand (Leg-
ends of the Micmacs, p. 200) to account
for a war between the ]\Iicmac and the
Iroquois. Cf. also J. D. Prince, Passa-
maquoddy Documents, Atmals of the
Xeii' York Academy of Sciences, vol. xi,
no. 15, 1898, pp. 371-372.
30. See, part I of this volume: Studies of the
Beothuk and Micmac of Newfoundland,
p. 45 and table of comparisons.
31. Rand (Legends of the :\licmacs, pp. 408,
432), also refers several times to the
INDIAN NOTES
NOTES
"Sagawachkik" as "the ancients" figur-
ing in ]\licmac tradition.
32. We also know that in 1765 Governor Pal-
liser undertook measures to suppress
^Micmac migration from Cape Breton to
Newfound and, on account of the increase
of these Indians along the southwestern
coast of the island. (Cf. Chas. Pedley,
History of Newfoundland, London, 1863,
p. 121.)
33. Lieutenant Edward Chappell, R. N., Voy-
age of his JNIaJesty's Ship Rosamond to
Newfoundland and the Coast of Labrador,
London, 1818, pp. 76-77.
34. Cormack, an explorer who crossed the
island in 1822, mentions encountering an
old ]\Iontagnais named James John (cf.
p. 132, family no. 4), who was married to a
Micmac woman in the interior. Later,
in 1828, Cormack had a Montagnais, a
Micmac, and an Abnaki with him as
guides in his quest of Beothuk survivors.
35. Since then I was told some Montagnais once
again attempted to lodge in Newfound-
land, but the band was expelled by the
authorities in order to protect the beaver.
36. Several Indian families trace descent from
individuals said to have belonged to a
tribe called K:n'i''heu'a'tc, living far to
the west. Among the ^licmac in general
the term is applied to the Penobscot and
the St Francis Abnaki. While the Mic-
mac do not analyze it so, the term is
evidently "Long River people" a syno-
nym for the Kennebec {K-wun'i''bek"^),
155
AND MONOGRAPHS
156
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
River tribe of Maine, Penobscot or St
Francis Abnaki.
37. William P. Anderson, Micmac Place Names,
Recorded by S. T. Rand, Ottawa, 1919,
p. 60.
38. J. P. Howley, The Beothucks or Red In-
dians, the Aboriginal Inhabitants of New-
foundland, Cambridge University Press,
1915, pp. 130-168.
39. Ibid., p. 148.
40. Ibid., p. 149.
41. Ibid., p. 150.
42. Ibid., pp. 151-152.
43. Ibid., p. 157.
44. Ibid., p. 159.
45. This is now known as Fairy Holes, between
St Ann's bay and Great Bras d'Or. The
Micmac tell how,, sixty-eight years ago,
five Indians — Joe Bernard, Francis Ber-
nard, Clement Bernard, Joe Newell, and
Tom Newell — entered the caves which
honeycomb this headland, carrj'ing seven
torches. They walked as far as the
torches would light them, about a mile
and a half, found eight brooks in the
caves, and when they came out discov-
ered how a rock three hundred feet wide
had moved since they had entered! The
Indians naturally regard these caves as
very mysterious.
46. The scene of the myth becomes changed to
Nova Scotia, where the localities of the
actions correspond more closely with
those in the version of the Nova Scotia
bands recorded by Rand.
INDIAN NOTES
157
INDEX
Ahmki, emigration of, to Newfoundland, 143;
guide of Cormack, 155; hunting territory
among, 86. See St Francis Ahnaki; Wabanaki
Aisi'me''nt.s, jMontagnais term for JSIicmac, 119
Alder-hark, pigments from, 34, 36-37
Algonhian, Beothuk culture related to, 31-33,
48, 69-70, 75; Beothuk descent from, 13-15;
Beothuk words resembling, 76; charms char-
acteristic of, 43; hunting territory among, 71,
83-84, 86-87, 91
Alliance of Micmac, with French, 124; with
Mohawk, 107
Ancestry, animal, of Penobscot, 85, 87. See
Tot em ism
Anderson, 11';)?. P., Micmac Place-names, cited,
94, 140, 150, 156
Animals, figured on coats, 34; killing of, among
Micmac, 89; tabooed, killing of, 122; totemic
significance of, 85, 87, 95-98^
Annapolis, Nova Scotia, comprised in ^Micmac
chieftaincy, 95
Annual ceremony, of Beothuk, 62-64; of Mic-
mac, 120
Anthropological Survey of Canada, ethnological
collection gathered for, 19
Antler, caribou, on Beothuk sites, 21; cracked,
on Beothuk site, 22; harpoon-heads, Mic-
I N D I A X NOTES
158
B E O T H U K A N D :\1 1 C M A C
mac-Montagnais, 40; implements, Algonkian,
44. See Caribou-aniler
Arctic zones, social life of tribes of, 84
Arrow, Beothuk sacrifice of, 62; in totemic
emblem, 96; arrows (ISIicmac), art of , taught
by Gluskap, 148
Asikki'gamiik, Newfoundland, Micmac settle-
ment of, 121
Athabascan affinity with Beothuk, 71-72
Attkhoro, Mass., Santu at, 58, 79
Awl, bone, Beothuk, 60; bone, Micmac-^Ion-
tagnais, 39; iron, on Beothuk site, 21
Axes, iron, on Beothuk sites, 22
Bachofen, theories of, on social evolution, 84
Badger, absent from Newfoundland, 131
Badger's Brook, Beothuk remains at, 40, 48;
Beothuk site, 20; Beothuk tradition from, 53;
hunting charm at, 43; John Paul of, 27
Badger's brook, wigwam-pits along, 24-25
Bags, among ]\licmac-Montagnais, 39
Band, Indian, at Oldtown, Me., 115; bands
among ^licmac, 92-93; :Micmac, listed by
Cormack, 143-144; totemic emblems of,
95-98. See Gens
Bands, metal, on Beothuk sites, 21
Bank's pi fie, non-edible rind of, 77
Bark, canoes, Beothuk, 32-33, 43; receptacles,
Beothuk, 76; superstructure of winter
wigwams, 31-32, 73-74. See Birch-bark
Basketry, see Splint basketry
Baskets, jMicmac-Montagnais, mainland origin
of, 41
Bathnrst, Micmac name for, 140
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Bay d'Espoir, Micmac band at, 137-138, 143;
]Slontagnais wintering on, 142
Bay of Despair, see Bay d'Espoir
Bay of Fitndv, tides of, created bv Gluskap,
147-148
Bay of Islands, ilicmac band at, 143
Bay Si George, see Si George's bay
Beacon fires, on Cape North, 120; on Cape
Ray, 26
Beadwork, colored designs in place of, 39
Bear, hunting of, in Newfoundland, 131
Bear River, a village of the Micmac, 93, 94
Bear River band, hunting territory of, 106
Bear-skin, wool from, 37
Beaton family, hunting territories of, 128
Bealon, William, on robbery committed by
Beothuk, 53
Beaver, chase of, by Gluskap, 147-148; harpoons
for spearing, Micmac-]\Iontagnais, 40; hunt-
ing of, in Newfoundland, 131; Newfoundland
legend concerning, 126-127
Beaver-skin, Beothuk clothing lined with, 43;
wool from, 37
Beheading of enemies among Beothuk, 50, 54
Belle Isle, see Straits of Belle Isle
Belts, Micmac, weaving of, 37-38
Benoit family, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Beothuk, or Red Indians, affinity of, with Atha-
bascan, 71-72; Algonkian descent of, 13-15;
annual ceremony of, 62-64; Buchan's exjiedi-
tion to capture, 49-50; Cormack's researches
among, 141-145; culture, origin of, 44-46,
69-70; culture, survivals from, among IMic-
mac-Montagnais, 29-30. 32-33, 36, 38, 43-46,
60, 74-76, 118, 122-123; descendants of, 66;
159
AND MONOGRAPHS
160
BEOTHUKAND MICMAC
extermination of, 12, 54, 117-119, 121; food
of, 61-62; Gatschet on, 44-45; iiair remover,
40; in relation to hunting territories, 129-130;
last survivors of, 139; marriage of, with other
tribes, 65; paucity of information on, 11-12;
Santu descendant of, 55-60, 67-69; sites of,
12, 20, 24-25, 40, 48; smoking among, 41;
traditions concerning, 15-19, 25-29, 43, 46-
54; vocabulary, 66-67, 76; winter wigwams
of, 31-32, 73-74
Bernard family, at Bay d'Espoir, 138; Fairy
Holes visited by members of, 156
Bernard, Peter, former chief of Prince Edward
Island band, 152
Berrv-gaihering districts on Cape Breton island,
113
Birch, edible rind of, 45, 77
Birch-bark, maps, Micmac, 98-99, 142; pipe,
Micmac-Montagnais, 41; receptacles, Algon-
kian, 43; wigwams, 30-31, 113
Black pigment, 34
Black weasel, legend concerning, 28-29
Blanket, gambling-game played on, 63, 80
Blocks, hair dressed over, 35
Blueberries, pigments from, 34
Blue pigment, 34
Bodies, dyeing of, Beothuk, 15, 17, 43, 51,
63-64, 73
Bonavista bay, Micmac band on, 143
Bone, awls, Beothuk, 60; dehairer, Beothuk,
24-25; implements, characteristic Algonkian,
44; implements, Montagnais, 127; snowshoe
needles, Micmac-Montagnais, 39; bones, ani-
mal, on Beothuk sites, 21-22; transformed to
rock by Gluskap, 146-148
IND IAN NOTES
INDEX
Bone-crackers, stone, on Beothuk sites, 24
Bonne Bay, Micmac band at, 143; jNIicmac
settlement at. 137; Mitchell hunting on, 135;
Montagnais settlements north of, 126-127
Bonnycastle, R. H., Newfoundland in 1842,
cited, 77
Boot-moccasin, Beothuk, 36, 122; JNIicmac term
For, 74.
Boots, Beothuk, 43. 51; Beothuk influence on,
35-37
Boundaries of hunting territories, 94. See
Crosses
Bow and arroic, caribou killed with, 61-62; in
totemic emblem, 96; bou<s, art of, taught by
Gluskap. 148
Bras d'Or lake, Gluskap's passage through, 147
Br card, cited, 153
Brooks, John, acknowledgment to, 94
Bro'iin pigment, 34
Brichan's expedition, account of, 49-50, 77-78
Burgeo, first Micmac settlements at, 27
Burial of ^Iar>' March, 78; burials, red ocher in
pre-Algonkian, 13
Burke, Matheu.', at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Cabot strait, crossing of, by Micmac, 120-121
Camp, Beothuk, at Red Indian point, 49;
Beothuk, on Hodge's mountain, 48; Beothuk,
on voyage, 61; camps, Micmac, on Cape
Breton, 113-114
Camp-sites, Beothuk, on Red Indian lake, 20-
22, 46-47
Canada, Beothuk sites in, 12; migration of
Abnaki from, 143; Santu in, 59
AND MONOGRAPHS
161
162
BEOTHUKAND MICMAC
Canoe, Gluskap's, 146; in totemic emblem, 97;
voyages by, 26, 28, 119-125, 154; canoes,
Beothuk, 13, 32-33, 43, 44, 60-61, 74, 122;
Beothuk and Micmac, meeting of, 51-52;
Micmac, art of, taught by Gluskap, 148
Canoe-mat, Gluskap's, 146-147
Canso, comprised in Micmac chieftaincy, 95
Cape Breton, dialect of, 37
Cape Breton island, Gluskap myth of, 145-149;
Alicmac: chiefs of, 131, 144, 150; chieftaincy
of, 94-95, 106-107, 125-126, 144, 150; dice-
and-bowl game in, 80; hunting territories
in, 86-87, 106-114, 130, 136; voyagers from,
25-27, 119, 124-125, 155
Cape Chignecto, in Micmac chieftaincy, 95
Cape Negro, chieftaincy named from, 95
Cape North, Gluskap created at, 146; Micmac
voyagers from, 26-27, 119-120
Cape Ray, Micmac voyages to, 26-27, 119-120
Cape Sable, chieftaincy named from, 95
Capote, distinctively Micmac, 34. i-'ee Coats
Caps, edged with colored designs, 38-39; peaked,
of women, 35
Capture of Beothuk, see Extermination
Caribou, abundance of, in Newfoundland, 129;
calf-skin coats of, IMicmac-Montagnais, 35;
fences, Beothuk, 19-20; fences in Labrador,
73; food of Beothuk, 61-62; harpoons for
spearing, ^Vlicmac-Montagnais, 40; hunted
by Beothuk, 49; hunting territories concerned
with, 131
Caribou-antler, on Beothuk sites, 21; snowshoe
needles, Micmac-Montagnais, 39-40
Caribou-skin, bags in Newfoundland, 39;
Beothuk: bone implement for dehairing, 24-
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
25; clothing of, 43; foot-wear of, 35-36, 51,
75; wigwam lined with, 48; canoes, 60; capote
of Newfoundland, 34; wool from, 37
Carlu-righi, Journal, cited, 73-75
Catiglinaicaga, Quebec, Iroquois of, 107
Caves, see Fairy Holes
Ceremonial simplicity of Beothuk. 15. Fee
Annual ceremony
Chapel island, ^Micmac festival at, 120; Alicmac
settlement at, 107
Chap pell, Edward, Voyage _ of H. M.'s Ship
Rosamond, cited, 124—125, 155
Charms, among Micmac-Montagnais, 42-43
Charts, see Maps
Checkenvork design on caribou-skin coats, 34
Chegogun harbor, Micmac name for, 140
Chert chips on Beothuk sites, 21
Chief, Beothuk, wigwam of, 22; ]Micmac, bark
map belonging to, 98; ]Micmac, gift of schooner
to, 121; ]\licmac hunting territories distrib-
uted by, 88, 92, 150; of Newfoundland band,
125-126; chiefs, ^licmac districts divided
among, 94-95; ]\Iicmac, French names of,
114; Micmac, numerous family determining,
91; ^licmac, of Cape Breton island, 94-95,
106-107, 125-126, 131, 144, 150. See Grand
chief
Chieftaincies, Micmac, 94-95
Children, Beothuk, dyeing of, 63; Micmac-
Montagnais, dress of, 35
Chippewan stock, reputed relation of Beothuk to,
71
Chips on Beothuk sites, 21, 24
Chisels, slate, pre-Algonkian, 13-14
163
AND MONOGRAPHS
164
B E O T H U K A N D M I C M A C
Cibonx islands, Gluskap's canoe broken on, 146
Clan, see Gens
Clarke, J. M., Observations on the Magdalen
Islands, cited, 153
Clay, red, Beothuks stained with, 51
Clode sound, IMicmac band at, 143
Clollmig suspended from hoop, 31. See Dress
Coats, children's, of Micmac-Montagnais, 35;
hooded, Beothuk, 43; sealskin, Micmac-
Montagnais, 34. See Capole
Codroy, JMicmac at, 137
Color of Beothuk, 44, 51; colors, determining
patterns, 38; rabbit-wool bands in, 38-39.
See Dyeing; Painting; Red
Conne river, Micmac settlements at, 27, 121, 137
Cooking utensils, suspended from hoop, 31
Cope, a common Micmac surname, 79. See
Kop
Coptis trifolia, see Yellow thread
Cormack, Wm. E., Narrative, cited, 33, 73, 74,
80, 141-145
Counters in Beothuk dice-and-bowl game, 62
Crooked knife, Micmac term for, 75; IMicmac-
Montagnais, 39
Cross, emblem of Miramichi Indians, 96;
crosses, hunting and fishing territories marked
by, 89, 106
Culture, Beothuk, material, 13-15, 20-22,
24-25, 29-46, 74-76, 122-123, 169-170;
Beothuk, social, 62-64, 80; Micmac-IMont-
agnais, material, 18-19, 83-86; Micmac-
Montagnais, social, 83-86. See Hunting
territory
Culture-hero, see Gluskap
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Dahl, R. 5., interest of, in Santu, 79; on Micmac
settlements and hunters in Newfoundland ,
137-138
Dance, Beothuk, after murder, 54
Dau'son, Sir William, on Beothuk origins,_71-72
Day, John, Peyton accompanied by, 50, 53
Death, washing connected with, 80
Decoration of caribou-skin coat, 34-35
Deer, in to.temic emblem, 97
Deer-fcnccs, Beothuk, 46-47. See Caribou
Denys, John, Grand chief of ^Micmac, 107, 149
Denys, Nicholas, cited, 46, 74, 89, 149
Denys. Tomah, migration of ]\Iicmac under, 108
Descendants of Beothuk, 69. See Santu
Designs on coats, 34
Dice-and-boiii game of Beothuk, 62-63
Digby, canoe voyage from, 154; hunting claim
in court at, 98
Dildo Arm, accident to Beothuk near, 52
Discs, of dice-and-bowl game, 63, 80
Dog, Gluskap's, 148; non-domestication of,
among Beothuk, 44
Doublet, Jean and Francois, interest of, in ]Mag-
dalen i.slands. 153
Doublet, Madeleine, Magdalen islands named
for, 153
Dress, Beothuk, 17, 43; Beothuk survivals in,
:Micmac-Montagnais, 33-39; ^Micmac-^NIont-
agnais, adorned with colored designs, 38-39;
Montagnais, in Newfoundland, 127
Dyeing of bodies, Beothuk, 15, 17, 43, 51, 63-
'64, 73; of caribou-skin bag, Micmac-Montag-
nais, 39; of moccasins, Beothuk, 36-37, 122.
See Clay; Painting
AND MONOGRAPHS
165
166
E E O T H U K A N D M I C M A C
Ears, hair dressed over, in Newfoundland, 35
East, artifacts typical of, 25, 44
Ebegwi- denax, Micmac for Prince Edward
Island Indians, 114-115
Election of chief of Micmac band, 152
Emblems, animal, 95-98. See Totemisin
Embroidery among Montagnais, 39
English, grant from, to Micmac, 124^-125; St
George's river named by, 28; war of, with
French, 108
Eskasoni, capital village of jVIicmac tribe, 93,
107, 125, 150
Eskegawaage, a Micmac chieftaincy, 95
Eskimo, culture, Beothuk related to, 11-12, 40,
41, 70; culture, survivals in Newfoundland,
127; hide canoes of, ii; marriages of, with
Beothuk, 65
Ethnological table, 45-46
Exogamy, 149; among Ojibwa, 85; not practised
among Micmac, 87, 113
Exploits river, Beothuk sites on, 12, 19, 24-25;
Buchan's expedition up, 49, 77; ethnological
collection from region of, 44; hunting terri-
tories around, 129; murder near, 53-54; red
clay on, 51; schooner's clock found on, 53
Extermination of Beothuk, 11-13, 18, 47, 49-
51, 53-54, 77-78, 117
Fairy Holes, Gluskap's home at, 146, 156
Family group, among Algonkians, 87; among
iVIicmac, 89-91
Family hunting territory, see Hunting territory
Famine, bark eaten in, 45, 77. See Starvation
Fear, cause of Beothuk destruction, 28-29,
47-48, 52, 144
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Fences, caribou, Beothuk, 19-20; caribou, in
Labrador, 73; deer, Beothuk, 46-47
Fire-arms, Beothuk fear of, 28, 47, 52, 144
Fire-place of Beothuk, 21, 24
Fires, see Beacon fires; Forest fires
Fish eggs, as food, 153
Fisher, absent from Newfoundland, 131
Fishermen, Beothuk forays on, 21
Fishing, districts, ]\Iicmac, 113, 117; imple-
ments, ]\Iicmac, 148; in Newfoundland, 131
Fish-spears of Micmac-Montagnais, 40-41
Flakes, see Chips
Flint chips on Beothuk sites, 21
Folklore, see Legend
Food, Beothuk, 21, 61-62
Forest fires, destruction of Beothuk fences by,
19-20
Fox, hunting of, in Newfoundland, 131
Frameivork of Beothuk canoe, 60
Francis. Joe, former chief of Prince Edward
Island band, 152
French, blood in Micniac chief, 144; jMicmac
allies of, 108, 124; names of JMicmac chiefs,
114; schooners, ^licmac voyages on, 120-121
Fur, Beothuk garments lined with, 43
Gabriel, a Micmac encountered by Cormack,
144-145
Gambo, Micmac settlement at, 137
Games, of Beothuk, 62-63; of JMicmac, 80
Game-totem , see Use-tolem
Ganda Bay, Micmac band at, 143
Gander lake, hunting territories around, 129
Ganong, W. F., cited, 46, 74, 96, 149, 151
Garters, Micmac, weaving of, 37
167
AND MONOGRAPHS
168
BEOTHUKAND MICMAC
Gaspesians, see LeClcrcq
Galschet, A. S., cited on Beothuk, 11, 44-45
Gens, among Micmac, 91, 95-98; exogamic, of
Algonkian, 85, 87
Geological Survey of Canada, ethnological sur-
veys made for, 83-85
Geological Survey of Ncufoundland, collections
in museum of, 43^i4; Howley of, 55
Gesliculalion, among Beothuk, 66
Glenwood, Newfoundland, Micmac settlement
at, 137
Gloucester, Mass., discovery of Santu at, 56;
Toney at, 79
Gluskap, Cape Breton version of, 145-149, 151;
Micmac culture-hero, 109
Goldenweiser, A. A., use-totem discussed by, 85
Gontgont, Emanuel, Cormack housed by, 145
Grand chief of Micmac, 106-107
Grand lake, hunting territories around, 129;
last appearance of Beothuk at, 54
Grand Manaan, canoe voyage to, 154
Grandmother, Gluskap's, 148
Graves, Beothuk, perforated teeth in, 43
Great Bras d'Or, Gluskap's passage through, 147
Great Cod Roy river, Micmac band at, 143
Great Lakes, Santu living on, 59; wigwam con-
struction characteristic of, 31
Greenland, intermarriages of Beothuk in, 65
Gulf of St Lawrence, Micmac voyages in, 125, 153
Gull eggs as food, 153
Gunpowder, Beothuk blown up with, 50
Gunwale, Beothuk type of, 32-33
Hair, Beothuk style of dressing, 35 .
Hair-removers of Micmac-Montagnais, 39-49
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Halifax, comprised in Micniac chieftaincy, 95
Hall's Bay, ilicmac settlement at, 137
Hammers, stone, on Beothuk sites,^24
Hampton Beach, X. H., Santu at, 67
Handles, wooden, of awls, 39
Hare-skin, wool from, 37
Harpoon, Beothuk, 61; Micmac term for, 76;
:Micmac-Montagnais, 40-41; sea-mammals
killed with, 61-62
Hartigan, Mr, Beothuk traditions related by, 52
Hartland, E. S., on social evolution, 84
Hide-scrapers, of Micmac-^Iontagnais, 39-40
Hinx family, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Hodge's mountain, Beothuk traditions of, 48,
139
Hoop, used in wigwam construction, 31, 73-74
Houley, J. P., acknowledgment to, 141; Beo-
thuics or Red Indians of Newfoundland, cited,
15, 17, 32, 41, 46, 71-77, 156; collection
gathered by, 43-44; list of Micmac settlements
obtained from, 137; on veracity of Santu, 55-
56
Hudsonian zones, social life of tribes of, 84
Hunting, cam})s, Micmac, on Cape Breton, 113-
114; importance of, in Newfoundland, 14vS-
144; Micmac implements for, 148; Micmac-
Montagnais charms for, 42-43; of caribou
by Beothuk, 19-20, 73; on Prince Edward
island, 115
Hunting territory, Algonkian society based on,
71, 83-86; in interior, 139, 144; Micmac, aver-
age size of. 136-137; Micmac, in Cape Breton
island, 106-114; Micmac, in Nova Scotia,
86-106; Micmac, in Prince Edward island,
114-117; Micmac-Montagnais, in Newfound-
AND MONOGRAPHS
169
170
B E O T H U K A N D M I C M A C
land, 117-138, 143-144; probable Beothuk,
139, 144
Implements, on Beothuk sites, 21, 22, 24; stone,
pre-Algonkian, 13. See Fishing implements;
Hunting; Lances; Stone age
Indian island, Me., wgwam-pits on, 31
Indian island, N. S., Gluskap starts beaver at,
147
Inheritance, of hunting territories, 86, 92, 113,
117-118, 135-136
Interior, flight of Beothuk to, 28-29; hunting
territories in, 139, 144
Iron implements on Beothuk sites, 21, 24. See
Metal
Iroquois, hostihty of, to Wabanaki, 29; Alic-
mac relations with, 107, 154
Jack, E., on Beothuk traditions, 17
Jack pine, see Bank's pine
J eddore family, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Joe, Andrew, hunting territory df, 135-136
Joe family, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Joe, John, Gluskap myth related by, 146-149
Joe, Tom, hunting magic of, 127; hunting terri-
tory of, 135-136
John family, at Bay d'Espoir, 138; hunting terri-
tories of, 128
John, James, mentioned by Cormack, 142, 155
John, Louis, account of last Beothuk by, 48,
53-54; on relations between Beothuk and
Micmac, 54; share in hunting territory offered
by, 131
Jore, Ben, grandfather of, killed bv Beothuk,
53-54
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Jukes, J. B., Excursions in Xewfoundland,
cited, 73
Julian, Joe, share in hunting territory ofifered
to, 131
Kaspoog'ii'il, a Alicmac chieftaincy, 95
Kayak, Beothuk canoe like, 60-61
Keel, Beothuk tyqpe of, 32
Keelson, of Beothuk canoe, 79
Ksn'i'be'wa'lc, Micmac term for Penobscot, 155-
156
Kennebec River band, Micmac term for, 155-156
Killing of tabooed animal, 122
King George I V lake, Mitchell hunting territory
about, 135
Knives, iron, on Beothuk sites, 21-24. See Crooked
knife
Kop, name of Santu's father, 57, 58
r.abrador, Beothuk descendants in, 69; Beothuk
relations with, 65; caribou fences in, 73;
^licniac vovages to, 125; Montagnais migra-
tion from, 25, 118, 126-127, 141, 143; Montag-
nais of, 15-16, 35. 48;
Lake Wasanipi, survey of hunting territories
from, 85
Lance-heads, slate, pre-Algonkian, 13-14
Lances, Micmac-Montagnais, 40-^1
Landmarks, Micmac, in Xewfoundland, 26-27
Language of Beothuk, authorities on, 11-13
Leather, d\eing of, Beothuk. 122
Leaves, smoking of, among Beothuk, 62
LeClercq, Father Chretien, Xew Relation of
Gaspesia, cited, 46, 71, 74, 88, 89, 91, 96,
98-99, 149-150
171
AND MONOGRAPHS
172
B E O T H U K A N D M I C AI A C
Legend, of beaver, 126-127; of black weasel, 28;
of Gluskap, 145-149; of Hodge's mountain,
48, 139; of ^lagdalen islands, 153; of moose,
115; of quarrel between Beothuk and IVIic-
mac, 122, 154. See Traditions
Leggings, Beothuk, 17
Leland, C. G., Algonquin Legends of New Eng-
land, cited, 72-73
Lewis, Reuben, chief, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Liltle river, Micmac camp on, 144-145
Lloyd, T. G. B., on Beothuk vocabulary, 67
Logs, winter wigwams of, 31-32, 73-74
Loin dollt, Beothuk, 17
Look-out tree at Red Indian point, 23, 78-79
Loom, Micmac, 37-38
Louis, Noel, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Lonisbnrg, retreat of French to, 108
LoiHe, R. H., Primitive Society, cited, 83, 149
Lynx teeth as charms among Micmac-Montag-
nais, 43
McCloud, George, knowledge of, of Beothuk, 69
McDonald, Frank, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
McEwan, John, acknowledgment to, 94; Guide's
Prize Storv, cited, 151; map of hunting terri-
tory by, 99, 106
Magdalen islands, Micmac voyages to, 153
Magic, hunting, in Newfoundland, 126-127
Main river, see St George's river
Maine, aboriginal culture in, 13-15; Penobscot
of, 15, 155-156; perforated stones in, 42;
prehistoric Algonkian culture in, 71; wigwam-
pits in, 31
Malagawatch, Micmac settlement at, 107
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Malca'te, at Oldtown, INIe., 115; cognate Algon-
kian roots in language, 76; term for Beothuk,
16; term for woman, 66; totemic emblem of,
97; traditions among, concerning Beothuk,
16-17
Mallcrv, G., Picture-writing of the American
Indians, cited, 96-98, 150
Maple splint baskets, Micmac-Montagnais,
mainland origin of, 41
Maps, birch-bark, ]\licmac, 17, 98-99, 142
Marriage, customs among Beothuk, 80; customs
among JMicmac, 90, 92-93, 130-131; of Beo-
thuk with outsiders, 64-66; of Beothuk with
wolverene, 72-73; of Santu, 59-60
Mary March, capture of, 50-51, 53, 77-78
Mary March brook, Beothuk site on, 22; capture
of Beothuk on, 50, 77
Mary March's point, Beothuk captured at, 50;
lookout-tree on, 78-79
Massey, Miss, on IMicmac maps, 98
MaUic'ci'S family, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Matrilincalily, theories of, 84
Mays, G. V., on birch-bark map, 17
Ma'y^me'gu'ik, Micmac settlement of, 121
Meat, gift of, to Beothuk, 51-52
Mechling, W. H., Malecite Tales, cited, 17, 72
Meelpcgh lake, Montagnais hunting territory
at, 139, 142
Me'kue'isit, Malecite term for Beothuk, 17
Memramcook, a INIicmac chieftaincy, 95
Meski'gliru.'i''ddn, village-site near Seal rocks,
27, 139
Metal, fragments on Beothuk sites, 21; schooners
robbed for, 21. See Iron Implements
173
AND MONOGRAPHS
174
BEOTHUKAND MICMAC
Meywe'dje'iva''gi', Micmac name of Red Indian
lake, 46, 139
Meywe''dji'djik, Micmac term for Beothuk, 18
MeytcC'djik, Micmac-Montagnais term for
Beothuk, 27
Meywe'za'xsi't, Micmac name for Hodge's
mountain, 48, 139
Michel, Matty, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Micmac, annual ceremony of, 120; camp-site
at Red Indian point, 23-24; chief on Prince
Edward island, 151-152; culture, Beothuk
survivals in, 24-25, 32-33, 44-46, 63, 69-70,
75, 79; culture, comparative study of, 70;
culture survivals of, in Newfoundland, 41-42,
122; Gluskap myth of, 145-149; guide to
Beothuk sites, 20; hunting territory among,
83-86; hunting territories in Cape Breton
island, 106-114; hunting territories in Nova
Scotia, 86-106; hunting territories in Prince
Edward island, 114-117; marriage of Santu
with, 67-69; marriages of Beothuk with, 59,
65-66; migration of, to Newfoundland, 25-
27, 118-125; place-names, Beothuk survivals
in, 46-47; place-names in Newfoundland,
138-140; totemic emblem of, 97; traditions
' among, concerning Beothuk, 17-19, 71-74;
vocabulary, 66; weaving among, 37-39;
wigwam among, 30-31. See Micmac-Mon-
tagnais
Micmac-Montagnais, Cormack among, 141-145;
culture, 37; culture, Beothuk survivals in,
29-30, 33-39, 44-46; hunting territories in
Newfoundland, 117-138; traditions concern-
ing Beothuk among, 21-22, 25-29, 46-54.
See Micmac; Montagnais
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Middle river, Gluskap kills beaver at, 147;
Micmac settlement at, 107
Migration, Micmac, eastward trend of, 136-137;
IMicmac, to Xeu-foundland, 25-27, 118-125;
^Montagnais, to Newfoundland, 118-127
Millertonn, Beothuk traditions from, 52-53;
Mary March's point at, 50; Red Indian
point near, 47
Millerlown Junction, Beothuk traditions from,
52, 54
Minas basin, created by Gluskap, 147-148
Mink, absent from Newfoundland, 131
Miramichi Indians, cross emblem of, 96
Mistassini, hunting territory among, 86
Mitchell, Matliru.', hereditary chieftaincy of, 135
Moccasins, Beothuk, 17; Beothuk influence on,
35-37; suspended from hoop, 31. See Boot-
moccasin
Moha-d'k, Micmac alliance with, 107; Santu's
marriage with, 59
Moisie river, Montagnais along, 18
Montagnais, cognate Algonkian roots in lan-
guage. 760; culture, Beothuk resemblances to,
11-12, 24-25, 44-46, 70; culture, survivals of,
in^Newfoundland, 33-36, 39, 41, 122, 126-
127; eating of bark by, 45; hunting territory
among, 85, 86; in Newfoundland, Cormack
among, 141-142; migration of, to Newfound-
land, 118; of Labrador, 15-16, 48, 73; tradi-
tions among, concerning Beothuk, 18; weav-
ing among, 38; wigwam of, 30-31. See
Micm ac-M ontagn ais
Moorehcad, W. K., Red Paint People, cited, 13,
71
175
AND MONOGRAPHS
176
B E O T H U K A N D M I C AI A C
Moose, slaughter of, on Prince Edward island,
115
Moose-skin canoe-mat, Gluskap's, 146-147;
canoes, 33
Morgan, L. H., on social evolution, 84
Morris, Reuben, ^Micmac chief, 12.S
Moss, winter wigwams chinked with, 32
Mulgrave lake, Siah's hunting territorj- about,
106
Murder of Beothuk by ]\Iicmac, 28
Muskrat, in totemic emblem, 97
Mulch, J. R., acknowledgment to, 151
Mylh, totemic, of Penobscot, 87. See Legend
Nails, metal, on Beothuk sites, 21
Names, Christian, among jSIicmac, 114. See
Tables
Naskapi, in Newfoundland, 126-127; timidity
of, 48
Needles for snowshoes, ]Micmac-]\lontagnais,
39-40; ^licmac term for, 76. See .4^:'/;
Netting-needles
Netting-needles, ilicmac-Montagnais, 39-40.
See Needles
New Brunswick,
chiefs in, 114;
migration of
Malecite of, 16-17; IMicmac
]\Iicmac place-names in, 140;
___^ Micmac from, 108; relative
standing of bands in, 137; Santu in, 59
Newell, Joe and Tom, Fair}^ Holes visited b}'. 156
New England, coast, aboriginal culture of, 13-15;
Santu in, 59-60
Newfoundland, Beothuk remains in, 11-54;
Beothuk tradition in, 72-73; material culture
of, 29-44; :\Iicmac migration to, 155; ificmac
of, 86-87; Micmac place-names in, 138-140;
INDIAN NOTES
I N L) E X
^licmac-Montagnais hunting territories in,
117-138; ^licmac-Montagnais of, 25; v33-43,
86-87; ^lontagnais of, 16; tenure of hunting
territories in, 109
Xeuifomidlaiid band, see M !c»iac-M onla i;>!a i .s
Xorlheastern culture, implements characteristic
of, 40
North Pole, Gluskap residing beyond, 149
Nova Scotia, Gluskap legend in, 147-149, 156
]\Iicmac canoes of, 3i; Micmac hunting terri
tories in, 86-106; Micmac place-names in, 140
migration of Micmac from, 108; porcupine-
quills exported from, 41-42; Santu in, 59, 65
size of hunting territory in, 136-137; tradi-
tions concerning Beothuk in, 71-72
Noya'mkisk, Xewfoundland, ]\Iicmac settle-
ment of, 121
Niidjo'yn, village-site on St George's ba}-, 27
Ocher, see Red oclier
Ojibwa, hunting territorj' among, 85-87
Oldtown, Elaine, Indian band at, 115
Orchard, If. C, Xotes on Penobscot Houses,
cited, 74
Osag9ne''u'i'ak, Penobscot term for Red Indians,
15-16
Osa'yan'ax, Micmac term for Beothuk or
Montagnais, 16, 18, 56, 60, 65-67
Ottawa, ethnological collection in, 18-19
Otter, in totemic emblem, 97
Otter-skin, Beothuk clothing lined with, 43;
wool from, 37
Pacifique, Father, on Micmac place-names, 95
Pack-straps, weaving of Micmac, 37
17'
AND MONOGRAPHS
178
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
Paddle, Gluskap's, 147-148; in totemic emblem,
97
Painting, coats of Beothuk decorated uath, 43;
colored designs in place of, 39; of caribou-
skin coats, 34-35. See Color; Dyeing
Paliser, Gov., Micmac migration limited by, 155
Passamaqnoddy, derivation of term, 150; emblem
of, 96-97; hostility of, to JNIohawk, 73; tra-
ditions among, concerning Beothuk, 72-73
Palrilinealiiy, among Algonkian, 84-86
Pattern, in weaving, Micmac-Montagnais, 38
Patterson, on Beothuk terms, 67
Paul family, at Bay d'Espoir, 138; hunting
territories of, 128
Paul, Frank, on crossing of Cabot strait, 120
Paul, Gahe, acknowledgment to, 115
Paul, John, acknowledgment to, 24, 78;
acquaintance of, with Santu, 68-69; irregular
tenure of, 135-136; on Buchan's expedition,
49-51; on Micmac dress, 34; on Micmac
place-names in Newfoundland, 124; on Mon-
tagnais hunters in Newfoundland, 126-127;
on relations between Beothuk and Micmac,
51; on separation of Beothuk from Micmac,
27-29
Penobscot, alleged animal ancestry among, 85;
at Oldtown, Me., 115; boundary signs among,
94; cognate Algonkian roots in language of,
76; hoop in wigwam construction of, 31 ; hunt-
ing territory of, 86; Micmac term for, 155-
156; perforated stones among, 42; term for
living creature, 66; totemic emblem of, 97;
traditions among, concerning Beothuk, 15-
16
Penobscot river, wigwam-pits along, 31
IN D. IAN NOTES
INDEX
Perforated stones, among i\Iicmac-]Montagnais,
42-43
Perseciitiou, see Extermination
Peyton, John, Beothuk vocabulary of, 67; expe-
dition of, against Beothuk, 50-51, 53; on
Buchan's expedition, 78
Pictography of Wabanaki, 96-98
Pictou, a Micmac chieftaincy, 95; Gluskap at,
148
Pigments, see Painting
Pine-hark, red dj-e derived from, 36-37
Pinus halsamifera, bark of, as food, 45
Pipes, improvised, of Micmac-Montagnais, 41;
stone, of Beothuk, 62;
Pitcher-plant, leaf of, used as pipe by IMicmac-
Montagnais, 41
Pits, see Wigwam -pi Is
Place-names, Beothuk survivals in, 46-47;
Micmac, in Newfoundland, 26, 123-124,
138-140; Micmac, in Nova Scotia, 94-95;
^Micmac, on Cape Breton island, 114; Montag-
nais, 85; of hunting districts, 113. See Tables
Plains, wigwam construction tj'pical of, 31
Plaster cove, Gluskap at, 146
Poles, in totemic emblem, 97
Pollock, in totemic emblem, 97
Poplar, edible rind*of, 77
Porcupine, not native to Newfoundland, 41-42,
131
Porpoise, hunting of, 154
Port Blandford, Micmac settlement at, 137
Portneuf river, survey of hunting territories to,
85
Post, loom attached to, 37-38; posts, of winter
wigwam, 32
179
AND MONOGRAPHS
180
BEOTHUK AND MICMAC
Pot, Gluskap's, 148
Pottery, absence of, among Beothuk, 44
Pouch, Micmac term for, 75. See Bags
Powell, J. W., on Beothuk language, 11
Pre-Algonkian culture in Maine, 13-15
Prince Edward island, French governor of, 144;
Micmac chiefs in, 114, 151-152; Micmac
hunting territories in, 114-117
Prince, J. D., Passamaquoddy Documents,
cited, 73, 154
Propliecv of Gluskap, 148-149
Pidlet, Ned, at Bay d'Espoir, 138
Punishment, washing as, 64
Quarrel between Beothuk and Micmac, legend
of, 122, 154
Quebec, Micmac at battle of, 108; survey of
hunting territories in, 85
Quilkvork of Micmac, 41-42
Rabbit -wool, weaving of, 37-39
Raccoon, absent from Newfoundland, 131
Rand, S. T., Legends of the Micmac, cited, 98,
151, 154-155; Micmac Dictionary, cited,
72-76; Micmac place-names recorded by, 140,
156
Rasles, Father, letter to, cited, 154
Red, and black, checkerwork in, 34; bags, dyed,
39; body dyed, among Beothuk, 15, 17, 43,
51, 57, 63-64, 72-73; boots and moccasins
dyed, 36; clay on Exploits river, 51; leather
dyed, 122
Red Indian falls, caribou fence above, 20
Red Indian lake, Beothuk ceremony at, 62-64;
Beothuk sites on, 12, 19, 44-51, 142; hunt-
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
ing territories around, 129; Mary March's cap-
ture at, 77-78; ilicmac name for, 46, 139;
Santu born near, 56, 58
Red Indian point, a Beothuk site, 22-24, 46-47;
capture of Beothuk at, 49-51
Red Indians, 16. See Beothuk
Red island, creation of, by Gluskap, 147
Red oclier, seams of coats smeared with, 34-35;
use of, by Beothuk, 13, 72-73
Red Pond, see Red Indian lake
Red root, bodies of Beothuk dyed with, 63-64;
of Red Indian lake, 58
Red-ilillou' bark, smoking of, by JMicmac-^Ion-
tagnais, 41
Restigoiiche, a IMicmac chieftaincy, 95; salmon
emblem of, 96
Rivers, W. II. R., use-totem discussed by, 85
Roasting of meat, Beothuk, 62
Robberies committed by Beothuk, 21, 53
Rocks, creation of, by Gluskap, 146-148
Rushy pond, Buchan at 49
Sable, absent from Newfoundland, 131
St Ann's day, Micmac celebration of, 120
St Croix river, Micmac name for, 140
St Francis Abnaki, Micmac term for, 155
St Georges Bay, Beothuk village at, 118
St Georges bay, grant on, to IMicmac, 124-125;
Micijiac place-names on, 138-139; ^Micmac
settlements on, 27, 118, 121-122, 137; Mon-
tagnais hunting on, 142
St Georges harbor, Cormack at, 145; ^Micmac
band at, 143
Si George's river, formerly called Main river, 28
Si Johns, N. B., canoe voyage to, 154
181
AND MONOGRAPHS
182
BEOTHUKAND IVIICMAC
St Johns, Newfoundland, Marv ^March captive
at, 50-51, 78; visit with HowW at, 55
Si Lawrence river, JNIontagnais north of, 16, 137;
Montagnais of, 18; remains along lower, 71;
sur\'ey of hunting territories to, 85; tribes
bordering, Beothuk resemblance to, 45
St Mary's bay in St Lawrence, IMicmac name for,
140
St Patrick's bay, Gluskap at, 147
St Paul's island, Micmac voyages to, 119-120
St Peter's channel, Gluskap's pursuit of beaver
through, 147
Salmon, emblem of Restigouche Indians, 96
Sandv point, Micmac-Beothuk site near, 27-28
Santii, Beothuk descent of, 24, 55-60, 67-69;
information given bv, 16, 60-67; veracity of,
79
Sapir, Edward, acknowledgm.ent to, 19
Sapir, J. D., acknowledgment to, 67
Sark, John, chief of Prince Edward Island band,
151-152
Sarracena purpurea, see Pitcher plant
Sa'yewe'djki'k, or ancients, of Newfoundland,
26, 123-124
Schooner, dismantling of, by Beothuk, 21, 53;
French, Micmac voyaging on, 121; Indian
voyages on, 26-27
Sealing, in Newfoundland, 131; Micmac-INIon-
tagnais harpoons for, 40
Seal rocks, Beothuk and Micmac site near, 27
Sealskin, canoes, 60; coats, Micmac origin of,
34; moccasin, 36
Sea ■mammals, Beothuk food, 61-62
Settlements, see Village
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Seicnng of Beothuk canoe, 60; on bark recep-
tacles, 76
Ship, see Schooner
Ship harbor, ISricmac place-name in, 140
Shipicrcck, Beothuk assistance at, 64
Shiiboiacadic, a ]Micmac village, 93, 95
Siah, Solomon, map belonging lo, 99, 106
Sigunikt, see Slniheuacadie
Silk, embroiderv in ^Montagnais, 39
Sites, Beothuk, 12, 19-25; Beothuk and :Micmac,
at St Georges bay, 27-29. See Camp-sites;
Village; Wigwam-pits
Skin, bags in Newfoundland, 39; canoes, Beo-
thuk, 33, 60-61, 74
Skunk absent from Newfoundland, 131
Slate, lance-heads, pre-Algonkian, 13-14
SmethursI, Gamaliel, Narrative of an Extraor-
dinary Escape, cited, 151
Smith's lake, N. S., hunting territories at, 151
Smoking among Beothuk, 41, 62
Sno'd'shoe, Beothuk, 75; Micmac-Montagnais
type of, 39
Social organization of Beothuk, 15. See
Hunting territory .
Song of Santu, 67-68
Spear, ]\Iicmac term for, 76
Speck, F. G., Ancient Archeological Site on the
Lower St Lawrence, cited, 71; Decorative
Art and Basketry of the Cherokee, cited, 76;
Double Curve Motive in Northeastern
Algonkian Art, cited, 75
Spinning, among Micmac, 37
Splint basketry, distribution of, 76; Micmac-
Montagnais, 41
Split point, Gluskap kills beaver at, 147-148
183
AND MONOGRAPHS
184
BEOTHUKAND MICMAC
Spruce, keelson of, 79; Mary March's, 78-79.
See Lookout-tree
Spruce-bark, Beothuk, canoe stiffened with, 60;
red dye derived from, 36-37
Stain, see Dyeing
Starvation of Beothuk, 48. See Extermination
Sicvensville, Beothuk-Micmac settlement near,
27, 121-122
Stone age, Beothuk culture of, 21; implements,
absence of pre-AIgonkian, 13; implements,
collection of, 43-44; implements on Beothuk
sites, 24; pipes of Beothuk, 62. See Chips;
Implements; Slate
Stones, see Perforated stones
Straits of Belle Isle, Montagnais crossing, 126;
Montagnais near, 18
Sydney, Micmac chief at, 131; Micmac settle-
ment at, 107
Sylvester, Joseph, guide to Cormack, 141,
Table Head, Gluskap dines at, 147
Tables of Micmac hunting territories, 100-105,
110-112, 116, 132-134
Taboo concerning black .weasel, 28; tabooed
animal, killing of, 122
Tanning, among Beothuk, 43
Ta'yamkuk', Micmac name of Newfoundland,
119
Tay' amkuyewa' X , Micmac name of Newfound-
land band, 119
Teeth, perforated, among Micmac-Montagnais,
43
Terra Nova river, Micmac place-names on, 140
Thwaites, R. G., edition of Jesuit Relations,
cited, 154
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Tides created by Gluskap, 147-148
Tinne, reputed relationship of Beothuk to, 71
Tiffi, construction of, .31
Tobacco, improvised pipe for, 41
Toggle, ■Micmac-jMontagnais, antler, 40
Totiey, Abram, deep-sea voyages of, 154
Toney, Joe, Santu's son, 56, 60; wanderings of,
79. See Saniu
Tools, metal for, 21. See Implements
Totemism, absent among Micmac, 87; absent
among Micmac-Montagnais, 113; among
Penobscot, 85; significance of, 95-98
Traditions concerning Beothuk, 15-18, 21-22,
25-29, 46-54, 71-74. See Legend
Traps, iron, on Beothuk sites, 22; Micmac, in
Newfoundland, 143
Tribes, see Band
Trousers, caribou-skin, Beothuk, 35, 43
Tiick, Mr, on death of ^Slary March, 53
Turtle, Gluskap's uncle, 148
Turtle-eggs, ^Micmac gambling phrase, 80
Tuyu'e''gan m9ni''guk', Micmac name of St
Paul's island, 119
Tu'illingate, Beothuk encounter near, 52
Unama''gi, Micmac name of Cape Breton
island, 107
Us'a'g9n.ik, Malecite term for Montagnais, 16
Use-totem, 85; among Micmac, 97-98. See
Totemism
Vaudreuil, M. de, letter of, cited, 154
Victoria Museum, ethnological collection of
Newfoundland in, 18-19
Village, Beothuk-Micmac, 118, 122-123; t/V-
185
AND MONOGRAPHS
186
BEOTHUKAND MICMAC
lages, Micmac, in Newfoundland, 118, 121-
123, 137; Micmac, on Cape Breton island,
114
Village-siles, see Siles
Vocabulary, Beothuk, 58, 66, 76
Voyages, of Indians, 26, 28, 153-154
Wahanaki, absence of splint basketry among,
41; culture, Beothuk resemblances to, 44-46,
63; dice-and-bowl game of, 79; hostility
of, to Iroquois, 29; pictography of, 96-98;
skin canoes of, oi; winter wigwams of, 31-32,
73-74
Wampum, Micmac ceremonial procedure with,
107
Washing, among Beothuk, 64, 80
Water bucket, cognate terms for, 76
Weasel, see Black weasel
Weaving among IMicmac, 37-39
Whitbourne, Ricliard, Discourse on the Dis-
covery of Newfoundland, cited, 76-77
Whites, beheaded by Beothuk, 50; Gluskap's
aid against, 148-149; relations of, with
Beothuk, 49-54, 57, 64, 69, 77-78
Whilnev, Caspar, on caribou in Newfoundland,
129
Wigwam, Beothuk, birch-bark, 30-31, 73-74;
Beothuk, on Hodge's mountain, 48; chief's,
at Red Indian i)oint, 78; Micmac, on Cape
Breton, 113-114. See Tipi
Wigwam-pits, distinctive of Beothuk, 13, 20-22.
24r-25, 30-31, 40, 44
Willoughby, C. C, Prehistoric Burial Places in
Maine, cited, 13, 71
INDIAN NOTES
INDEX
Wilson's lake, Newfoundland, Alicmac camp
on, 144-145
Winter wig-d'ams of Beothuk, 31-32, 73-74
Wolverene, absent from Newfoundland, 131;
marriage of Beothuk with, 72-73
Women, peaked caps of, 35; quillwork of, 41-42
Wood, awl-handles of, 39; Beothuk canoe
framework of, 60; ^licmac-Montagnais net-
ting-needles of, 39-40; spindle of, 37
Woodchuck, absent from Newfoundland, 131
Wool, embroidery in, Montagnais, 9; weaving
of, 37-39
Wreck, see Shipureck
Wreck cove, Gluskap at, 146
Wycogamagh, Gluskap at, 147; John Joe of,
146; -\Iicmac settlement at, 107
Yarmouth band, voyages of, 154
Yarmontli, N. S., death of Santu at, 79; hunting
territories near, 92; Santu married near, 59
Yellow thread, yellow pigment from, 34
187
AND MONOGRAPHS
■IN
HUNTING TERRITORIES OF THE MICMAC INDIANS IN NOVA SCOTIA
o
HUNTING TERRITORIES OFTHK MICMAC INDIANS IX PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND NEWFOUNDLAND
m
'•: f^}-"^^^''' REGiONAL LIBRARY FACILIT,
A 001 120 717 2